Harry Potter ebooks! Really!

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by TimW

I'm a bit confused at Pottermore's logic in selling a watermarked ebook directly from their site but requesting it be DRMed if it's sold through one of the bookstores. Am I misunderstanding something or is this another facet of the grand clusterfluff?

Seems they wanted the least intrusive DRM each bookstore supported but they absolutely wanted *some* DRM on every copy sold. Watermarking *is* DRM, after all.

[howyoudoin]

This only shows that Rowling made the right choice in setting up Pottermore. Watermarking is a form of DRM, but it is a non-restrictive form of DRM. People get to carry forward their purchase even if they change their e-reader in the future. The DRM implemented by Amazon and co is aimed at locking in the purchase to their store and e-reader.

[rleguillow]

How can they say they are the exclusive home of Potter books, when I just got an email from Barnes and Noble advertising the Harry Potter ebooks?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rleguillow

How can they say they are the exclusive home of Potter books, when I just got an email from Barnes and Noble advertising the Harry Potter ebooks?

Because you go to B&N to buy and it takes you to Pottermore to buy. B&N can then serve them to you, but you have to buy via Pottermore.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by rleguillow

How can they say they are the exclusive home of Potter books, when I just got an email from Barnes and Noble advertising the Harry Potter ebooks?

Try actually buying them from B&N though. You'll be redirected to Pottermore to purchase them (you can link your B&N account to Pottermore if you wish for direct download on your Nook).

[TimW]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

This only shows that Rowling made the right choice in setting up Pottermore. Watermarking is a form of DRM, but it is a non-restrictive form of DRM. People get to carry forward their purchase even if they change their e-reader in the future. The DRM implemented by Amazon and co is aimed at locking in the purchase to their store and e-reader.

Amazon can deliver books either with or without DRM. The publisher decides. According to Nate:

Update: So I’ve heard back from Amazon, and guess what they told me?

All titles that are pushed wirelessly from Pottermore to Kindle, or to other retailer’s eBook services and readers, are DRM encrypted at Pottermore’s request.

[ProfCrash]

I would download a version for my Kindle, an EPUB version, and one for my computer. Three downloads out of the 8.

[KevinH]

Hi,

You are kidding yourself. They are indeed watermarked in many ways. You might want to check out the company booxtream to get an idea of what is going on. Remember, it need not be your name, it can be any identifiable string that can be tied back to you.

I am actually in favour of social drm like this, I wish everyone used it and removed the silly company specific DRM crap we see now.

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Ah, the previous poster was right -- it's in the Copyright page.

It's just not your name (looks like a GUID) -- so much for the "personalized editions" they were tweeting about this morning.

[JoeD]

Originally Posted by TimW

Amazon can deliver books either with or without DRM. The publisher decides. According to Nate:

It's an either or though. Full blown lock in DRM or no DRM at all.

Read between the lines and you'll get, Pottermore wanted some DRM (watermarking) but not full blown can't move across devices DRM that we're all so against. Amazon likely refused to implement watermarking as a form of DRM on their service and said you can have no DRM at all or our DRM.

So whilst it may have been Pottermore's choice to use Amazon's DRM, it wasn't really a choice at all as they clearly want some form of protection of their books otherwise they wouldn't have watermarking.

That's not to say Amazon is at fault here either, after all why should they implement another form of DRM just for one set of books? Saying that, even if other authors asked for watermarking, Amazon would have little incentive to offer it.

[rleguillow]

Disregard previous - teach me to be snippy. B&N links to Pottermore if you attempt to buy them from B&N.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Sending a copy to your Amazon account 'costs' one download. But you can then download as many times as you like from your Kindle Books List.

Downloading a DRM-free ePub to your computer 'costs' one download. But you can then read that DRM-free ePub on any of your devices that can read an ePub.

Thanks. That leaves lots of downloads remaining.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by TimW

Amazon can deliver books either with or without DRM. The publisher decides. According to Nate:

Yeah, that's true. But it's possible that the only options made available to Pottermore were Amazon DRM or no DRM at all. Watermarking might not have been an option made available by Amazon at all (and it never will be, because Amazon wouldn't be able to lock-in customers to their reader with this sort of DRM).

[Nahgem]

Originally Posted by Jean

A person on the Amazon forums figured out a way to purchase a UK version of the books if you live in the US:

Quote:

OK. I was able to figure out how to buy the UK version of the HP books when you have a US account. You will need 2 Pottermore Store accounts. You will need your main US one to buy the book and a second UK one to get the books. So you will need 2 e-mail addresses.

1) Set up your main US account. This one will be where you buy the GB version.

2) Change the Book Language to English(GB). Not the site language, the book language.

3) You won't be able to use the buy button. Use the gift link just below the buy button.

4) Send the gift to yourself at a different e-mail address. Use UK as that gift recipients country.

5) You can now check out as normal using your US credit card.

6) Set up a second Pottermore Store account with the other email address, but this time select UK as the country of residence.

7) You will get the gift code in that email account you set when you bought the gift. Use that code to accept the gift in your second Pottermore account.

8) You will now have the UK version of the book. Go ahead and link your Amazon account and send it off to your Kindle. Even though it's a US Amazon account it works just fine. You will get Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/r...DiscussionsNew

Thank you! This worked WONDERFULLY. One thing though, Nook owners need to register the second account as Canadian in order to push the books to their Nook, or change the country of residence to the US after they redeem the gift. I initially registered the second account as UK, then changed it to Canada to push the files to my B&N account. And now I have lovely, official, British versions of Harry Potter. I am a happy Potterhead today.

[sbroome]

I love how she's keeping so much of the money! Could care less otherwise but my nephew will be happy he's been whining about not having them on his reader.

[lfeuln]

Originally Posted by Jean

A person on the Amazon forums figured out a way to purchase a UK version of the books if you live in the US:

Quote:

OK. I was able to figure out how to buy the UK version of the HP books when you have a US account. You will need 2 Pottermore Store accounts. You will need your main US one to buy the book and a second UK one to get the books. So you will need 2 e-mail addresses.

1) Set up your main US account. This one will be where you buy the GB version.

2) Change the Book Language to English(GB). Not the site language, the book language.

3) You won't be able to use the buy button. Use the gift link just below the buy button.

4) Send the gift to yourself at a different e-mail address. Use UK as that gift recipients country.

5) You can now check out as normal using your US credit card.

6) Set up a second Pottermore Store account with the other email address, but this time select UK as the country of residence.

7) You will get the gift code in that email account you set when you bought the gift. Use that code to accept the gift in your second Pottermore account.

8) You will now have the UK version of the book. Go ahead and link your Amazon account and send it off to your Kindle. Even though it's a US Amazon account it works just fine. You will get Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/r...DiscussionsNew

Thank you (and of course the original poster)! This worked perfectly for me as well and it linked to my Nook account. For those wanting this too be sure to select Canada, not UK as country of residence as I don't believe UK can link to Nook.

Very happy right now, this has been long awaited for.

Oops, looks like I was repeating two posts up (should have refreshed the thread before). But hopefully no one misses the warning now.