Interesting Librié news: manybooks.net now offers downloads of public domain books in the Librié format. The service is currently in beta, so if you have a Librié, be sure to give it a try and send your feedback.
As far as I can see, the Librié downloads are created with the makelrf utility, which can be downloaded from the Yahoo! Librié group. More info at the Librié reference.
And for those who wonder why this is an noteworthy evolution, see my previous entries on Sony’s Librié ebook reader.
In April 2004, I reported about Sony’s Librié, an e-book reader only capable of displaying e-books in Sony’s proprietary BBeB file format— BBeB e-books are sold at Timebook Town and have terrible DRM inside, which limits their lifespan to only 60 days. After that, the e-books (and sometimes even your own annotations) expire and have to be purchased again.
Probably only to Sony’s surprise, nor the Librié nor Timebook Town have been a success so far. There may be several reasons for this, but it seems the Librié’s way too restrictive DRM may have something to do with it. Apparently Sony understands this, too—since November 1st, the Librié download section offers a set of conversion tools that allow users to convert their own Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, (X)HTML documents or even RSS news items to the Librié’s BBeB format. Note: as the conversion process apparently turns your documents into a graphic BBeB file, text-zoom or text-selection won’t work. The (X)HTML2BBeB filter in the Librié IE toolbar doesn’t have this problem, meaning that you can download books for free from Project Gutenberg or its Japanese counterpart, Aozora Bunko, and read them on your Librié!
For more info, tips and screenshots, check Librie Templates.
Update: English info on Sony’s Librié software available on the LibrieWiki.
A fine read over at Copyfight: Why Use DRM If It Doesn’t Work?. The following quote is a very important and interesting point:
What happens if the content industries start selling content in an unencumbered format? Well, technology companies are going to start developing products that use that content in new and innovative ways. Some of these ways may very well undermine the existing business models of the content industries. Without DRM the content industry would have very few levers with which to influence the consumer electonics and software companies. [...]
However, by insisting on proprietary DRM (well, under the DMCA it might not have to be proprietary), the content industries are in a much better position in negotiating how technology will be permitted to develop.
Rereading my earlier entry about Sony’s LIBRIe, this seems to make sense (even when talking about Japanese copyright law). By offering content in a proprietary DRM controlled format, Sony is able to control the development of digital devices that can read this format – which, of course, strengthens Sony’s market position.
A few days before my last post about Sony’s LIBRIe, J Mark Lytle wrote a fine article about it for the Guardian, Library without books. The article focuses on the technical aspects of the LIBRIe and mentions Sony’s proprietary BBeB format. BBeB incorporates Sony’s Open MG copyright protection technology, which makes the e-books’ content unreadable after two months.
Especially interesting though, is this part:
After flipping a few virtual pages on his ebook version of Natsume Soseki’s classic Botchan, Ukita spends a good 15 minutes explaining just how the crisp ink-like look is achieved.
Indeed, Natsume Soseki’s Botchan, a book which is in the public domain and of which translations can be downloaded in a range of formats (needless to say, unusable on a LIBRIe), is offered as a copyright controlled download that disappears after 2 months.
Hum.
According to this article over at Teleread (based on this recent dottocomu entry + comments), Sony’s long awaited E-ink technology powered LIBRIe is full of consumer unfriendly DRM-bloat.
Sony’s Librie reportedly has debuted in Japan with a library of just 400 books. That’s not all. Your purchase, er, your rental, will vanish in 60 days after you’ve plunked down your $5 or so.
I doubt this is going to be a hit…
NB: another recent e-book (but not DRM) related article: Publishers Push Return of the E-Book (Japan Media Review).
