Question about the Sony ebook store, DRM, multiple devices

*Angie* · 10-12-2009, 06:08 PM

Sorry if this is kind of disjointed.

So far, the only books I've used on my 300 are books that I already had from when I used to read on my Palm, free classics and a couple of new releases I picked up from other online ebook stores. I haven't bought anything yet from the Sony store.

So, I have a couple of questions. I know I'll need to register my 300 on the Sony store site before I can buy books, and that the books from Sony are DRM'd. My husband is considering the possibility of getting his own reader... would we be able to register both readers to the same account so that we can share books that we buy there? I'm honestly not sure if any of the books I've bought so far even have DRM, so I'm not 100% sure about how that works, exactly.

After all that, which online ebook stores would you recommend for buying bestsellers and the like, that I guess are mostly DRM free and so could be shared between 2 readers in the same household? Or is the DRM easily removed? I get why the DRM is there, to prevent rampant public sharing and all that, but I'm certainly not going to buy two copies of an ebook for two of us living in the same house, kwim?

Thanks!

amjbrown · 10-12-2009, 06:37 PM

Angie,

Sony allow you to have six devices registered to one account. A device is a computer or a reader. So you and your husband could have a reader each, a computer each, and two slots for later. It is easy to de-register a device from the Sony EBL software, and if you have lost a device (I deleted a virtual machine for example) then a quick mail to Sony will eliminate that too. Finally, you can name each device under your shared Sony account "Angie's reader" for example.

The Sony store currently sells books that are mostly DRM protected and in a format called LRX (the protected version of LRF). I do not know of any way to remove the DRM. The store is switching to ePub, and will most likely use the ADEPT DRM that has been removed as explained elsewhere in these forums. It sounds as if you won't need to worry about that though given you can share an account across your devices.

As to bookstores, these forums are covered in recommendations! Personally, for classics I download from MobileRead itself, for books in copyright I prefer Books On Board in the US and Waterstones in the UK.

Good luck!

amjb

*Angie* · 10-12-2009, 07:15 PM

Thanks so much for the reply. I don't care so much about removing DRM (nor did I want to have to go through the trouble), as long as we could share books. Do you know if we could both have the same book on our readers at the same time? Or is it only on one device at a time, which would mimic "loaning" a book, I guess?

Idoine · 10-12-2009, 07:21 PM

As you can read your ebook on your PC and on your device at the same time, I don't see why you couldn't read it on 2 different readers...

NoName · 10-12-2009, 08:14 PM

I have the same Sony eBook books on 2 readers and 3 computers and they all work fine. So no problem if you both want the same books at the same time.

SHOECHICK · 10-12-2009, 08:55 PM

Hubby and I both have 505s on one account - no problem at all sharing books.

*Angie* · 10-13-2009, 11:41 AM

That's awesome. Thanks everyone!

10-12-2009, 06:08 PM	#1
Angie Bookish Posts: 50 Karma: 112 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NB, Canada Device: Kobo, Sony PRS-300	Question about the Sony ebook store, DRM, multiple devices Sorry if this is kind of disjointed. So far, the only books I've used on my 300 are books that I already had from when I used to read on my Palm, free classics and a couple of new releases I picked up from other online ebook stores. I haven't bought anything yet from the Sony store. So, I have a couple of questions. I know I'll need to register my 300 on the Sony store site before I can buy books, and that the books from Sony are DRM'd. My husband is considering the possibility of getting his own reader... would we be able to register both readers to the same account so that we can share books that we buy there? I'm honestly not sure if any of the books I've bought so far even have DRM, so I'm not 100% sure about how that works, exactly. After all that, which online ebook stores would you recommend for buying bestsellers and the like, that I guess are mostly DRM free and so could be shared between 2 readers in the same household? Or is the DRM easily removed? I get why the DRM is there, to prevent rampant public sharing and all that, but I'm certainly not going to buy two copies of an ebook for two of us living in the same house, kwim? Thanks!

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10-12-2009, 06:37 PM	#2
amjbrown Addict Posts: 322 Karma: 1231044 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle app on the iPhone	Angie, Sony allow you to have six devices registered to one account. A device is a computer or a reader. So you and your husband could have a reader each, a computer each, and two slots for later. It is easy to de-register a device from the Sony EBL software, and if you have lost a device (I deleted a virtual machine for example) then a quick mail to Sony will eliminate that too. Finally, you can name each device under your shared Sony account "Angie's reader" for example. The Sony store currently sells books that are mostly DRM protected and in a format called LRX (the protected version of LRF). I do not know of any way to remove the DRM. The store is switching to ePub, and will most likely use the ADEPT DRM that has been removed as explained elsewhere in these forums. It sounds as if you won't need to worry about that though given you can share an account across your devices. As to bookstores, these forums are covered in recommendations! Personally, for classics I download from MobileRead itself, for books in copyright I prefer Books On Board in the US and Waterstones in the UK. Good luck! amjb

10-12-2009, 07:15 PM	#3
Angie Bookish Posts: 50 Karma: 112 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NB, Canada Device: Kobo, Sony PRS-300	Thanks so much for the reply. I don't care so much about removing DRM (nor did I want to have to go through the trouble), as long as we could share books. Do you know if we could both have the same book on our readers at the same time? Or is it only on one device at a time, which would mimic "loaning" a book, I guess?

10-12-2009, 07:21 PM	#4
Idoine Which book will be next ? Posts: 661 Karma: 2172 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: France Device: Cybook Gen3 1.5, Sony PRS 600 RC, Samsung Omnia...	As you can read your ebook on your PC and on your device at the same time, I don't see why you couldn't read it on 2 different readers...

10-12-2009, 08:14 PM	#5
NoName Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 659536 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hawaii Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, HTC Evo LTE	I have the same Sony eBook books on 2 readers and 3 computers and they all work fine. So no problem if you both want the same books at the same time.

10-12-2009, 08:55 PM	#6
SHOECHICK Addict Posts: 228 Karma: 1032 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vancouver BC Device: Red Sony 505 and Ipad	Hubby and I both have 505s on one account - no problem at all sharing books.

10-13-2009, 11:41 AM	#7
Angie Bookish Posts: 50 Karma: 112 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NB, Canada Device: Kobo, Sony PRS-300	That's awesome. Thanks everyone!

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