I am starting to suspect that some people may not have read past the opening blurb of my story yesterday that scooped eReader’s licensing of the eReader format to Stanza. If so, that is probably my own fault for not being clearer in the headline.
Here is a recap of the salient, non-Stanza-related points in the article. For more detail, click the link.
- eReader unencrypted format may now be used commercially by any publisher without having to pay eReader (Fictionwise) a cut of the proceeds. (i.e. Baen would now be free to release its titles in eReader format in addition to all the others.)
- eReader apps are coming for Blackberry in 1Q 2009, Linux in 1H2009.
- eReader will be updated to use ePub with an eReader DRM wrapper sometime in 2009.
- eReader has “fired” its prior transcription service, and has set up an internal department to translate publishers’ source files into eReader books. Most if not all titles on Fictionwise that are currently Mobipocket-only will have Secure eReader versions added.
- However, those who have already downloaded the Secure Mobipocket version would have to purchase the eReader version separately. This is a contract issue with the publishers and not something Fictionwise currently has any power to change.
- Some Fictionwise titles (such as the Kitty Norville books) erroneously show up in Mobipocket only on Fictionwise when there are in fact eReader files for them on eReader.com. Steve said that if a book is available on Fictionwise at all and on eReader.com as an eReader file, it should be available in eReader on Fictionwise as well—so if you spot any other such titles, let Steve know.
I’d like to see the new EULA for eReader Studio. The current downloads are unchanged, and still contain the provision preventing commercial use.
Well, Steve did mention that possibly not everything on the website had been updated yet (he would be having the people responsible for updating it check into that), but in our phone conversation he specifically said the ones bundled with the software had been updated.
If he’s reading these comments, perhaps he’ll chime in. (And then David will have another Steve P. comment he can make a story out of. 🙂 )
I sure will, Chris, LOL. Not everyone notices comments, especially RSS readers, and normally Steve has something of interest. David
Got an email from Steve. I don’t think it’s enough to make a post out of, though I could be wrong. 🙂