Rumor: Sony Reader, Amazon Kindle Coming to the UK soon

[edsohsmith]

What I see as a huge advantage to the average consumer, especially travellers and voracious readers--wifi/whispernet/whatever--on the Kindle may not work out so well outside the US. Am indeed keen to see how Amazon handles their internet access contracts in the UK, and to see how this affects the sales of both devices.

Lawyers, international copyright, convoluted contracts, these are reasons that Amazon's wispernet we likely not work internationally in the near future. And a reason why Sony's and Amazon's DRM'd bookstores are not operable internationally.

[Cthulhu]

Ed: WRT DRM, do you mean that with disparities in a nation's ridiculous intellectual property laws, a company selling such content in one single format/flavour/locked system could be violated said laws?

Oh, that could be rich. It would be interesting if the profit motivation of publicly held content companies played a large part in dismantling crippling digital rights software.

Anyway, a sleeping elder god can dream while he sleeps, right?
;-

We could have the 'crypto' fight all over again.

[Alexander Turcic]

Some more meat (emphasis mine):

Waterstone's is believed to have signed a deal to stock Sony’s e-book reader when it is introduced into the UK later this year. It is understood that the retailer will be the exclusive vendor of the device in the UK.

The electronics giant is widely expected to reveal next month that its Sony Reader, which retails in the US for $299 (£150), will be introduced to the UK.

Waterstone's is thought to have signed a deal with Sony to sell the device instore from this summer, and has been in talks with publishers about selling e-books.

A number of trade publishers have rushed to announce e-book plans in the past few weeks and have been working hard to clear e-books rights on their backlists. Both Penguin and HarperCollins have adopted the .ePub format, which is expected to be readable on the Sony device following an upgrade.

Waterstone's will be the first bookseller in the UK to sell an e-book device, and the move will put it in direct competition with Amazon.com, whose Kindle reader is expected to migrate from the US to the UK later in the year.

In the US, Borders had an exclusive contract for the Reader until the end of 2006.

link

[HarryT]

If that happens, it's really good news. Waterstones is by far the largest bookstore chain in the UK, with stores in virtually every town.

[astra]

Fingers crossed


(do we have an appriopriate smile for it?)

P.S. edited

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by astra

Fingers crossed



(do we have an appriopriate smile for it?)

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Some more meat (emphasis mine):



link

Does the ePUB format mean DRM free? I think the web page implies that you can wrap the ePBU files in DRM.

BOb

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Does the ePUB format mean DRM free? I think the web page implies that you can wrap the ePBU files in DRM.

BOb

Both DRM and DRM free eBooks can be in ePUB format. The format does not define the DRM but allows it.

Dale

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Both DRM and DRM free eBooks can be in ePUB format. The format does not define the DRM but allows it.

Dale

Which is confusing and problem causing. For example, just because a reader supports ePub doesn't mean you can read all ePub books on it... the reader will have to support the form of DRM used buy that book... and there could be many different kinds.

BOb

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Which is confusing and problem causing. For example, just because a reader supports ePub doesn't mean you can read all ePub books on it... the reader will have to support the form of DRM used buy that book... and there could be many different kinds.

BOb

I agree. Hopefully the publishers will iron this out before actually producing their DRM versions. It is likely that Adobe's lead on this may create a defacto standard, but only time will tell.

Dale

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I agree. Hopefully the publishers will iron this out before actually producing their DRM versions. It is likely that Adobe's lead on this may create a defacto standard, but only time will tell.

Dale

Of course the best option would be for them to release all the ePub books DRM free.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Of course the best option would be for them to release all the ePub books DRM free.

Unfortunately I believe they already DRM their digital editions although they did improve the model in the 1.5 release. Libraries will undoubtedly use that version.

Dale

[pauladev]

Happened on this thread by Googling 'Kindle UK Launch' and was impressed by the optimism for spring launches of both the Kindle and Sony Reader in UK. Nothing much for 7 months though!!

Finally saw the Sony 505 advertised today at £199 (http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec..._-ELEC_PROMO_1) but when I went further into it, I could only find the Sony eBook Store still inaccessible outside USA and Canada.
I am very new to the Ebook and publishing arguments and would welcome a pointer or two in the direction of what is available now at a reasonable price in UK and not on the usual £ for $ basis that we have always suffered for music DVD's and computer software!

I still can't see any factual announcements about Kindle in UK (or Europe) nor any mobile network to provide the material to read.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by pauladev

I am very new to the Ebook and publishing arguments and would welcome a pointer or two in the direction of what is available now at a reasonable price in UK

Waterstone's is selling the Sony PRS-505 and W.H.Smiths is selling (on-line only) the Bookeen Cybook Gen3.