08-19-2007, 05:30 AM | #31 | |||
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
Quote:
And since you seem insistent on limiting our DRM discussion to eBooks, then your statement is incorrect because no eBook seller has been a commercial success - yet. Quote:
Ever seen the movie "Sneakers"? There was a scene where Robert Redford was blocked by a door with a digital lock - a lock that was very hard to pick. So he kicked open the door. They put a $1000 lock on $10 frame. As security professionals say "Security is only as good as the weakest link." And as Cory Doctorow has pointed out many times, only 1 source needs to be broken to free content. Quote:
You are confusing the format with the legal process to make a company that creates CDs. |
|||
08-19-2007, 05:54 AM | #32 | |||
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Let's see: MobiPocket, Fictionwise spring immediately to mind. I'm sure I could come up with a few more.
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
|||
Advert | |
|
08-19-2007, 06:15 AM | #33 | |||
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
Quote:
But MobiPocket still sells an insignificant number of eBooks. Fictionwise sells more than DRMed eBooks. If we are going to talk about DRMed eBooks and business success, Fictionwise can't be in the list. Quote:
Quote:
Then I can change my statement to "the CD is an open format" meaning that I can take the content and turn it into something else. Something that is not proprietary (or at least open). |
|||
08-19-2007, 07:09 AM | #34 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
I do want to point out a very important thing.
The format specification for CDs, while owned by Philips, is freely available. You just go to the web site, pay some money and get the specs. To me, this looks like Philips basically saying "we put in alot of time and effort to create this format, and we'd like some money back if you are going to profit from it." But the important part is that Philips doesn't prevent anyone from making CDs. Now, let's compare that to the MobiPocket format. The site is still down, so I cannot re-verify this, but the last time I checked their site, they did not publish the full format for the MobiPocket format (I'm not talking about the PalmDOC-encoded-HTML-file). So, tell me, how many non-MobiPocket (company) programs exist that can create a MobiPocket format document? |
08-19-2007, 07:49 AM | #35 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
I can't check it either at the moment, but I'm pretty sure than anyone can publish a book with MobiPocket DRM. I believe there's a free program on the MP web site for doing so.
Whether or not there's any OTHER program for doing so, I don't know, but given the fact that it's free, does it matter if there is or not? |
Advert | |
|
08-19-2007, 01:11 PM | #36 |
Connoisseur
Posts: 71
Karma: 217
Join Date: Aug 2007
Device: Kindle 2
|
I too think that DRM is a bad thing.
How many people here purposely purchase DRM'ed .LIT ebooks because they know they can break the DRM? (under the guise of the DRM preventing accessiblity) I think the ebook industry/market is less mature than the emusic industry/market, and it is certainly less successful. EMI and now Universal have dumped DRM because it is hampering their growth in digital sales. Watermarking the ebook file as Universal Music will be doing with it digital music is a great compromise in my opinion. Sony and publishers, even more so, need to see "the light".... will it happen? |
08-19-2007, 02:28 PM | #37 | ||
MonkeyWrench
Posts: 22
Karma: 10
Join Date: Aug 2007
Device: SE K800i & PSP - looking at PRS500 :D
|
Quote:
-For reference: --Public library subscription (near my house): 20€ per year (and only because I'm older than 18 and younger than 65 - 18-and-under it's free while "oldies" get discounts). --Maximum of 3 books "loaned" at a time, for a period of 2 weeks (extendable if so desired.. but lets just leave this part out for convenience's sake). --3books per 2weeks & 52weeks total = 156 books for 20€ = 12.8c (0.128€) per book. And that is not taking into account early returns, etc. -- Of course, this is somewhat of a high figure (most people won't get that many books out), so lets just take half of that many books (78), thus doubling the price: 0.256€. -- And lets not forget that anything beyond your small-village public library probably has a selection of books quite a bit more extensive than that of most ebook providers. EDIT I should note of course that aside from the under 18s, college and such students also get massive discounts (or straight-out free access). Now lets look at the average "consumer" of pirate-ware... I don't think I'd be far off the mark if I stated that probably the majority of those would fall exactly within the category of under-18 or college-age. Arguably one of the reasons why many SW companies bring out extremely cheap "student" versions - getting 100US for a 1000US SW package is better than getting nothing. /EDIT Or was it just another corporate attempt at ripping people off by raping what otherwise could've been a good idea? Quote:
Or at least that's the way I read his comment. ---- And not in the UK? Well, the UK has always been considered an outsider in Europe (or at least, not wanted to be considered an integral part of it - anyone that's ever done international politics knows that even in the EU the UK has always been a monkey-wrench, and more often than not gone against the "norm", the issue with Iraq a few years ago being the perfect example hereof). But then again, what do I know? I'm just a war journalist specialized in international politics. Last edited by ZeBuddha; 08-19-2007 at 02:43 PM. |
||
08-19-2007, 04:24 PM | #38 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
Quote:
Microsoft used to be very generous in how people used Office. Then they drove their competition out of business and they stopped being generous. |
|
08-20-2007, 02:40 AM | #39 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
But nobody is forcing you to publish your books through MobiPocket. If you choose to publish your books through MobiPocket, however, you play by their rules. That seems entirely reasonable to me. If you publish your book through any publisher, you follow the publisher's rules.
|
08-20-2007, 05:48 AM | #40 | ||
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
Quote:
The MobiPocket format is completely controlled by MobiPocket. If they decide to change the rules, they can - at any time. If MobiPocket becomes the dominant eBook format, that will cause problems - as history has taught us. And you still didn't answer my question: Why do I need to ask MobiPocket (or any other company) permission to publish an eBook? Quote:
But getting back to the topic that we've strayed so far from... When I buy a pBook, I have certain rights. Among those are the right to re-sell the book - or in other ways transfer ownership to someone else. If I buy a pBook on Amazon for $15 and after reading it I decide that I probably won't re-read it, I can re-sell that book and get something back for it. I can also give that pBook away to someone else. On the flip side, if I really like that book, I can put it on my bookshelf and in, say, a year, pull it back down and re-read it. If I get a DRMed eBook, things are very different. I am barred from transferring ownership. So the "residual value" of the book is gone. I pay $15 for the eBook and don't like it, then I'm stuck. I can't get any money back for it. If the eBook is DRMed or in a closed format, then I may not be able to pull it off my "bookshelf" a year later and read it. Either the key for the DRM may no longer work, or my current reader may not support the format, or the format may be no longer supported. The bottom line is that a DRMed eBook, or a closed format eBook, is a 1 shot read. It's disposable. The expectation is that the eBook will be priced accordingly. Fair market value (as set by the local library): $0 Since libraries only have a limited number of copies, we can raise the price a little for the service of immediately borrowing a copy from the eBookstore. The price as set by iTunes: $0.99. |
||
08-20-2007, 06:20 AM | #41 | ||||
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Quote:
I believe that, if you do sell through MobiPocket, they take a 40% cut of the selling price. That pays for the web site, the publicity, etc. But again, if you decide that you don't want that, it's your free choice. Quote:
Quote:
Suppose you go to the cinema, and don't like the film. Do you expect to get your money back? Yes, eBooks are different to paper books, nobody's denying that. But nobody is forcing you to buy an eBook - if you'd prefer to buy a paper book, go ahead and doing so. It's a free market - the customers will ultimately decide whether or not the business model works. Quote:
|
||||
08-20-2007, 04:59 PM | #42 | |
Addicted to Porting
Posts: 1,697
Karma: 7194
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760
|
Quote:
Mobipocket's DRM server software is freely available as well I believe. You can use the mobipocket format without depending on the company for anything but the software (a one time download). |
|
08-20-2007, 05:23 PM | #43 | ||
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
Quote:
To sum up the argument: When a single entity owns an eBook format, you must ask permission of that entity to publish an eBook in that format. If that format becomes the dominant format, the company ends up controlling what can/cannot be published. Therefore, closed formats are bad for eBooks and consumers. Quote:
If the item you purchased at WalMart doesn't meet your needs, WalMart doesn't prevent you from selling that item on eBay to get something back for it. In your nightmare. You keep complaining about piracy. That's what happens when the legal alternatives provide poor value. |
||
08-20-2007, 05:24 PM | #44 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,018
Karma: 67827
Join Date: Jan 2005
Device: PocketBook Era
|
|
08-20-2007, 05:37 PM | #45 |
Gizmologist
Posts: 11,615
Karma: 929550
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN
Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3
|
Seems to me that once Mobipocket releases a content creator for their system into the wild (which they've done), they can't really control who makes what using it. They can stop distributing the maker, they can stop distributing the reader, but they can't make the existing copies of either go pfft!
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Classic eBook stores that use PayPal? | JewishMatt | Barnes & Noble NOOK | 12 | 01-15-2012 12:37 PM |
Ebook readers available in Swedish stores | mikaelalind | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 10 | 02-12-2010 08:48 AM |
Canadian ebook stores? | Carpethead | Sony Reader | 4 | 05-01-2009 11:58 AM |
What are the top 5 ebook stores and why? | charlieperry | News | 43 | 03-11-2009 01:16 PM |
What are the best eBook stores and why? | Over | Reading Recommendations | 18 | 07-12-2008 11:06 AM |