Fictionwise adds Kindle support (including wireless downloads!)

[silvania]

Today in Fictionwise's weekly newsletter:

Fifteen thousand EBooks for Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader!

Fictionwise is committed to supporting every major eBook device, and this week we're proud to announce that all MultiFormat eBooks at Fictionwise are now available for the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader. This is even true of MultiFormat eBooks you've bought in the past!

For Sony Reader just select "Sony Reader (LRF)" and for Kindle select "Kindle (AZW)" from the MultiFormat download menu. Kindle customers can even register their Kindle email address at Fictionwise and upload wirelessly with a single click from their bookshelf! (Amazon's 10 cent wireless charges apply.) For complete details on how to set this up, see:

http://www.fictionwise.com/help/kindleFaq.htm

[Arek_W]

excellent news, just did a bit of shopping formating for Sony - excellent, price in USD - fantastic
I think that this post is even more relevant for Sony users (the international folks as it gives us a new source of books

[silvania]

Originally Posted by Arek_W

excellent news, just did a bit of shopping formating for Sony - excellent, price in USD - fantastic
I think that this post is even more relevant for Sony users (the international folks as it gives us a new source of books

should it perhaps be cross posted in the sony group with a different subject line?

fictionwise has had about seven thousand sony files for a few months, this announcement basically says they completed all the conversions for sony.

[brecklundin]

now we are talking!! Except for one tiny issue...here is an excerpt from the FictionWise Kindle page:

Why Doesn't Fictionwise Sell All Titles for Kindle?

We would love to, but Amazon.com makes it impossible for any other eBook retailer to sell big-publisher eBooks that require DRM encryption for Kindle. Oddly, this even includes another major eBook retailer that is owned by Amazon themselves!

We suggest you open a support ticket at Amazon.com asking them to change this policy. They could very easily allow other retailers like Fictionwise to sell Secure Mobipocket titles onto the Kindle device. Amazon.com allows other print-book merchants to sell through Amazon's site, so why shouldn't they allow other merchants to sell eBooks onto Kindle?


So the offering is not as all inclusive as one might hope...but seems a solid step in the correct direction for sure. But as long as there is going to be DRM there needs to be a standard DRM format and policy for device portability.

[tsgreer]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

now we are talking!! Except for one tiny issue...here is an excerpt from the FictionWise Kindle page:

Why Doesn't Fictionwise Sell All Titles for Kindle?

We would love to, but Amazon.com makes it impossible for any other eBook retailer to sell big-publisher eBooks that require DRM encryption for Kindle. Oddly, this even includes another major eBook retailer that is owned by Amazon themselves!

We suggest you open a support ticket at Amazon.com asking them to change this policy. They could very easily allow other retailers like Fictionwise to sell Secure Mobipocket titles onto the Kindle device. Amazon.com allows other print-book merchants to sell through Amazon's site, so why shouldn't they allow other merchants to sell eBooks onto Kindle?


So the offering is not as all inclusive as one might hope...but seems a solid step in the correct direction for sure. But as long as there is going to be DRM there needs to be a standard DRM format and policy for device portability.

Buy isn't the same issue for a Sony Reader? They have their own DRM as well...

[Hadrien]

Originally Posted by tsgreer

Buy isn't the same issue for a Sony Reader? They have their own DRM as well...

The issue is not with the devices, it's with the fact that big publishers WANT DRM on their books. Currently, it's not possible for a third party provider like Fictionwise to produce DRM files for the Kindle or the Sony. That's the main reason why you can't get books from big publishers on Fictionwise for these 2 devices.

I expect this to change very quickly on the PRS-505 at least: with Adobe DE support, Adobe's DRM should be available on the reader, and Adobe usually open its DRM system to any content provider.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by tsgreer

Buy isn't the same issue for a Sony Reader? They have their own DRM as well...

Absolutely...

My reason for pointing out the new "service" from Fictionwise is not anything more then one could already do simply via buying ebooks in a format Amazon already converts, download it then just email it to your Kindle email address...just so long as the title is not DRM.

Since Fictionwise nor even Mobipocket are able to sell you DRM'd content piped through AmazonKindle to your Kindle, it seems more a bit of marketing "smoke and mirrors" then any significant change in services offered by Fictionwise...for now anyway. Of course if one uses their Kindle to shop on the Fictionwise site, or other book seller sites, it is a nice bonus of being able to have the book emailed to Amazon to be converted and eventually sent to your Kindle, all w/o a PC. Even if it does cost a whole dime.

It does seem though Amazon is really going to try and unify the whole DRM'd ebook thing soon as possible...just as long as it runs through them on a Kindle. Then hopefully Amazon can then license out the format to other hardware mfg's, especially PDA folks who need/prefer the added functionality of a PDA and ebook reader in a single device.

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by Arek_W

excellent news, just did a bit of shopping formating for Sony - excellent, price in USD - fantastic
I think that this post is even more relevant for Sony users (the international folks as it gives us a new source of books

For the Sony, it's actually old news. FW added Sony support to their multi-format books a while ago. I assume, by the way, this also means that subscriptions to Asimov's, Analog, and F&SF are available on the Kindle now.

Adding the Kindle is a smart move on FW's part. Setting up the ability to send it directly to the user's Kindle e-mail address is just brilliant on their part. That kind of thinking is one of the reasons that FW gets most of my e-book sales.

And yes, it is strictly for their multi-format, non-DRM books. There's really no other option for them.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Hadrien

The issue is not with the devices, it's with the fact that big publishers WANT DRM on their books. Currently, it's not possible for a third party provider like Fictionwise to produce DRM files for the Kindle or the Sony. That's the main reason why you can't get books from big publishers on Fictionwise for these 2 devices.

It is the case that FictionWise can't get Kindle secure AZW files to sell, but the Kindle is perfectly capable of reading secure MOBI files. Amazon has disabled this option, and this is entirely a marketing decision by Amazon. I base this claim on the fact that, so far as it is possible to tell without access to the source code, the "Kindle" e-book software appears to be exactly the same as MobiPocket's Java Reader. My guess is that it would take a single line change to the Kindle's Java reader to allow the reading of secure MOBI files, with perhaps a few more lines of code to make the needed PID available to the Kindle's owner (the PID was available on early Kindles, but I think it is now obscured - easy to put back though).

So the Kindle is already in the position that the PRS-505 will be in once it has Adobe Digital Editions. It can already read a common DRM format. If only Amazon would allow us access to the full capability of the Kindle.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

It is the case that FictionWise can't get Kindle secure AZW files to sell, but the Kindle is perfectly capable of reading secure MOBI files. Amazon has disabled this option, and this is entirely a marketing decision by Amazon. I base this claim on the fact that, so far as it is possible to tell without access to the source code, the "Kindle" e-book software appears to be exactly the same as MobiPocket's Java Reader. My guess is that it would take a single line change to the Kindle's Java reader to allow the reading of secure MOBI files, with perhaps a few more lines of code to make the needed PID available to the Kindle's owner (the PID was available on early Kindles, but I think it is now obscured - easy to put back though).

Don't forget that using igorsk's tool, being, er, vigorously discussed in this thread, one can buy any MobiPocket DRM book and read it on a Kindle, perfectly legally. The tool allows you to add the Kindle as one of the devices that the book is encoded for.

[silvania]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Don't forget that using igorsk's tool, being, er, vigorously discussed in this thread, one can buy any MobiPocket DRM book and read it on a Kindle, perfectly legally. The tool allows you to add the Kindle as one of the devices that the book is encoded for.

Harry, the legality is an open question. I agree that looked at logically it probably *should be* legal, but I have learned through hard experience that the law rarely has anything to do with logic.

Also, Amazon could disable this hack any time they want by simply commanding their mobi subsidiary to stop recognizing kindle PIDs (they are easily identifiable) for any ebook retailer besides the kindle store.

So people who buy mobi drm books from non-amazon sources might be surprised to find they won't really work on kindle sometime in the near future.

In addition, Amazon's terms of service apparently gives them the right to snoop around on your kindle wirelessly. If they start finding non-kindle-store drm mobi books on your kindle, it's quite possible they could "brick" your device like Apple did recently to iphone hackers. Remember that Bezos is extremely anamoured with how Apple does business, he could also have studied how Apple bricked a bunch of hacked iphones and decide that's the way to go.

Bottom line: using this hack is frought with risks for the consumer, that range from simple inability to read books purchased elsewhere, to possible loss of your kindle, depending on how heavy handed Amazon decides to be.

[Nate the great]

I've just gotten word from Fictionwise that they are switching to MOBI because they have been unable to make functional AZW format ebooks. Curiously enough, the files work if sent through email, but not if downloaded and transferred through USB.

I know the ebooks didn't work because I tried to download the files early. They weren't seen by my Kindle. I told Fictionwise, and they sent me an alternate file. It didn't work either.

[kkingdon]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I've just gotten word from Fictionwise that they are switching to MOBI because they have been unable to make functional AZW format ebooks. Curiously enough, the files work if sent through email, but not if downloaded and transferred through USB.

I know the ebooks didn't work because I tried to download the files early. They weren't seen by my Kindle. I told Fictionwise, and they sent me an alternate file. It didn't work either.

It sounds like the email path was performing some modifications of the submitted file prior to download. Perhaps a comparison of a pre- and post- emailed AZW would point out the modified bits.

[cfw123]

I love my Kindle, but will NEVER knowingly buy a DRM ebook from anyone. I also want a backup of everything on my HP Home Server where I have two terabytes. And Amazon does backups only on items bought through Kindle.

So I don't care if FictionWise or MobiRead is able to move a DRM ebook to the Kindle -- I won't buy it if it is DRM enabled. When I BUY something, I want to own it. I refuse to lease anything. I put in an 8 GB SDHC High Capacity memory card so I have plenty of space on my Kindle, as well on my home server.

Everytime I pass a closed music CD store I think this is what will happen to book publishers who are too stupid to learn by example what happened to music publishers. And for me, I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.

[tsgreer]

Originally Posted by cfw123

......I also want a backup of everything on my HP Home Server where I have two terabytes. And Amazon does backups only on items bought through Kindle......

You can back up anything that you have on your Kindle--bought from them or not. Just drag-n-drop your "documents" folder or the contents of that folder to your back-up media of choice.