Apple Set to Deploy FairPlay Digital Rights Management on iPad eBooks?

[Vulpinemac]

You obviously know nothing about ebooks. The ebooks that are currently available only represents a small fraction of the total books available. And this small fraction represents some of the most popular authors. It would be naive to say that that authors who have published ebooks have no other offers.

Maybe you should read what I said again. I did NOT say "... authors who have published ebooks have no other offers...", however, the publisher usually owns all distribution rights unless specified otherwise in the contract, which prevents the author from submitting to any other publisher. The only exception to this might be if the author himself published the ebook version prior to selling to one of the print houses. Even then, the print house may purchase those rights, which would force the author to stop selling ebook copies.

Just because an individual might sell an ebook doesn't mean that it was commercially published by a publishing house. If it was, the the author is restricted by his contract as to how and to whom he might sell that same manuscript.

 

[Boghog]

Author should be:
...
b: Selling directly from iTunes bypassing 'publisher'

I would love that model, but I don't think we're going to get it. Why not? Because then apple would have to check every book themselves for inappropriate content. Hell, they even refused a dictionary access to the app store because it contained "dirty words". Apple are paranoid about sexual content. I wonder if they will allow Shakespeare's plays in their store. They are quite explicit if you understand them.

I believe they'll take the easy way out by allowing you to transfer eBooks from your computer to the iPad without caring where you're getting them from. That way it is your content, not theirs.

Thus, all we need is someone without such scruples who will publish anything. I think amazon has such a scheme and of course lulu.com springs to mind.

Now, some have said that publishers do a lot to market their authors' books. It will be interesting to see how good a job they do when competing against word of mouth and peer review.

 

[sohelpme]

I didn't buy jot from iTunes when unfair-play was featured and I will take the same stance if books go the same way. I will only pay for non DRM material otherwise I'll continue to spend on paper and ignore these offerings.

So, you don't buy Apps or Movies from the iTS? They both are wrapped in Fairplay DRM...

This pretty much removes most of the benefits of getting an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad for you, as the main things they are useful for are wrapped in DRM.

 

[ILikeTurtles]

DRM'd iBooks make sense to me. Apple has to have a secure revenue stream fir the iPad just as it did with the iPod.

 

[Wolfpup]

What do they mean "Apple phased out FairPlay a year ago"?

Then why can't I burn iTunes movies onto DVDs? I was under the impression that Fairplay was still what Apple is using on all the movies and TV shows

So the news here isn't "Fairply is back!" but rather "Books will be like movies, not songs."

I can't say that I find that surprising.

Yeah, it never went away. It's on everything BUT music, unfortunately. iPod programs, video, etc. (although the music video I bought thankfully DIDN'T have it-got Do You Wanna Date My Avatar, which is awesome )

 

[tijean]

Don't think Apple will mind as long as they are in the ePub format.

Ah, but what about eBooks purchased that are in ePub format but also wrapped in some version of DRM, such as the ones purchased from Barnes & Noble?

To analogize to the current situation with iTunes and DVDs - I can rip those DVDs (for personal use only) and import into iTunes, sans DRM, then view the movies wherever I want (living room via media streamer, iPhone, etc.). Will we be able to "rip" eBooks in ePub format and remove DRM then import into the iBooks app, or will iBooks be able to hand the DRM all by itself, or will Apple and the eBook publisher need to have some agreement in place?

For me, I'm looking forward to a Handbrake for eBooks.