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Availability, DRM and stuff

Availability, DRM and stuff

Not all ebook formats are created equal

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Digtal Rights Management (DRM)

While Apple uses the open Epub format for their ebooks, they are applying a proprietary DRM to the books distributed by them, making it virtually impossible (it is possible to hack the books, removing these restrictions, but to do so is illegal in many countries, even though you bought the book) to read the books on any other device other than the devices Apple decides are allowed to open the books. In Apple's case, these devices are ...

Other ebook distributors, including Google and Bokkilden, dstributes books in the Epub format, but uses a more widely implemented form of DRM, Adobe Content Server 4, which app developers are able to licence from Adobe to read these books. These licences does however cost money to use and implement.

Distribution

The competing formats are distibuted through their own stores as downloadable files.

HTML based ebooks are distributable through a simple URL string.

Paywalls and whatnot are not to be discussed in this thesis.