HarperCollins ebook Store is Closed

[wallcraft]

I got e-mail today from HarperCollins about their store closure. I did not recall using the store, but I did buy one ebook directly from them. From its home page:

As of November 19, 2010 the HarperCollins eBook Store has been discontinued. We have disabled the ability to create new accounts or purchase content from this site, and we encourage you to download and archive all titles you have previously purchased. To download previously purchased titles, sign in and visit your 'My library' page. After December 19, 2010 titles that have not been downloaded will no longer be accessible.

Since HarperCollins is an agency publisher, they set retail prices and pay ebook stores a flat 30% so there is little advantage to having their own store.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Since HarperCollins is an agency publisher, they set retail prices and pay ebook stores a flat 30% so there is little advantage to having their own store.

Really? I'd have thought that being an agency pricing publisher made it even more of an incentive to have your own ebook store. Other people can't undercut the prices in your ebook store , and your get 100% of the revenue. OK, there are some charges for maintaining the store, but if you're into ebooks seriously (which all publishers must be or they won't be publishers for very many more years) this should certainly come to a lot less than 30% of sales.

But the closing of the Harper Collins ebook store is yet another reminder that buying DRMed ebooks is only renting them unless you are willing (& able) to strip the DRM.

[SensualPoet]

Adobe ADE isn't closing, just HarperCollins webstore. Does that make the ebooks bought there unreadable? Can't you move them around to all devices authorised by you on the same Adobe account?

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

Adobe ADE isn't closing, just HarperCollins webstore. Does that make the ebooks bought there unreadable? Can't you move them around to all devices authorised by you on the same Adobe account?

Yes, Adobe ePubs are authorized to an AdobeID so you should not need to redownload them if you add a new device.

[sbtx99]

HarperCollins used to offer 20% off all ebooks at their site. I never bought from them but did wonder if they still offered the discount after agency pricing went into effect, but each time I checked their ebookstore was unavailable.

[JSWolf]

If you have Windows 7, you may possibly not be able to download any MS Reader eBooks.

All the ones in my library are MS Reader and I am unable to download them even though I've allowed the plugin with MSIE 8.

[SensualPoet]

Thanks, Wallcraft, for clarifying the Adobe ADE ID thing. So, no one ought to "lose" the book unless Adobe goes under. But everyone ought to ensure they have a backup file, right?

[Dr. Drib]

Just got this email from them, as quoted:



Dear HarperCollins eBook Customer,

As of November 19, 2010, the HarperCollins eBook Store has been discontinued. We are contacting you so that you have the opportunity to download and archive the titles you have purchased. To download previously purchased titles, sign in and visit your 'My library' page. After December 19, 2010 titles that have not been downloaded will no longer be accessible.

We appreciate your patronage, and we regret any inconvenience this may cause you.

Sincerely,

The HarperCollins e-books Support Teamwww.harpercollinsebooks.com





Don

[Latinandgreek]

Thanks for posting, Dr. Drib. I'm surprised to hear this.

[rogue_librarian]

JFYI, it's been mentioned here already: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=107996

[simplyparticular]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

But everyone ought to ensure they have a backup file, right?

Yes, they should, as they won't be able to re-download the .acsm from Harper Collins.

What would have been nice is if they had partnered with one of the ADE bookstores and transferred the customers. Sony or Kobo probably would have have paid for that built in list of names.

Did HC only sell ADE ePubs, or did they sell other formats?

[TallMomof2]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you have Windows 7, you may possibly not be able to download any MS Reader eBooks.

All the ones in my library are MS Reader and I am unable to download them even though I've allowed the plugin with MSIE 8.

All the ones in my library are MS Reader and I am unable to download them even though I've allowed the plugin with MSIE 8.[/QUOTE]

Jon -

You can use MS Reader in Win 7 but it's a bit convoluted. Install MS Reader but not the update. Only use the 32 bit version of IE8 to download books and to activate. The 64 bit version does not work.

I redownloaded my HC books yesterday and all three were LIT.
I run Win 7 Pro 64 bit.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

Did HC only sell ADE ePubs, or did they sell other formats?

The three I bought there were DRMed Mobipocket.