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Does anybody seriously think an e-book is still the better option most times?

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40hz:



Read all about it over at Techdirt. Article here.

DRM Performs Another Miracle, Turns Purchased Childrens Books Into Nothing At All
from the the-magic-of-technology,-in-Biblical-terms dept

An anonymous Techdirt reader sends in the now-unsurprising news that another publisher and its DRM are declaring customers' purchased e-goods null and void. This time it's Scholastic, publisher of many youth and teen titles, as well as the long-running host of numerous parental wallet-emptying book fairs.

According to Scholastic's 2012 press release, Storia (the DRMed ebook collection currently affected) allowed students and teachers to purchase ebooks and share them with up to 10 family members/students via its proprietary app. (The app is the DRM. Scholastic purchases don't work outside of it. To quote its now-vanished FAQs page: "Storia eBooks are designed with unique learning features and enrichments that make them readable only while using the Storia eReading app.") It also included enhanced content to encourage readers to dig deeper into unfamiliar subjects and allow teachers to connect with downloaded books via Smartboards and other computers. All in all, not a terrible product and one that comes from a particularly trusted name in academic publishing.

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At least Scholastic is being upfront about what's happening to people's purchases.

    The switch to streaming means that eBooks you've previously purchased may soon no longer be accessible.
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But Scholastic is at least trying to mitigate the damage. Some purchases will stay active in users' accounts if customers follow this one simple trick. (Sorry.)

    You may be able to continue using your eBooks by making sure to open them on a bookshelf at least once by October 15.

Unfortunately, there's that troublesome word "may" stuck right in the middle of the damage control. Scholastic's site offers no odds on which books will still work and which purchased items will simply vanish. This is likely due to further licensing agreements behind the scenes -- those between Scholastic and authors/other publishers. (Scholastic handles book fair distribution for high-powered franchises like Harry Potter and Goosebumps.) Chances are, the bigger the title, the greater the likelihood of this maneuver not working. Just as Netflix streaming is 90% stuff no one wants to watch, a switch to an unlimited access streaming service will likely result in a.) the disappearance of titles whose upstream publishers are asking for increased licensing fees or b.) the increased upstream licensing fees pricing Scholastic out of many schools/parents' budgets.

But Scholastic is going further than most companies in the same position would, and doing it proactively (rather than waiting for the angry wisdom of the crowd to shame them into acting like they care).

    Upon your request, we will refund the cost of all Storia eBooks you've purchased. Call Customer Service at 1-855-STORIA1 by August 1, 2015.
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I'm sorry, the e-book publishing model, as it currently works, simply sucks :down:.

superboyac:
Well, aren't there two issues here?
DRM ebook vs. non-DRM ebook
ebook vs. physical book

in the former, of course DRM is a problem.  DOn't know what the good capitalist solution to it is, other than some form of honor system.
In the second case, they both have pros and cons.  I do enjoy being able to read a bunch of books on a tablet or phone.  It's not the most pleasant experience, but it hasn't bothered me too much yet.  Of course, reading a real book is much more comfortable, but I really hate carrying books around.  (I'm really looking forward to reading on a surface pro this weekend.)

as far as this article, i never was a fan of the DRM.  In fact, when I buy a kindle book, I immediately convert it in calibre and use the open version, because I'm picky about the apps I use to read.

Deozaan:
eBooks are the better option if they don't have DRM deleting them or making them inaccessible.

app103:
Glad I work for a company that doesn't believe in DRM in their ebooks. :)

Vurbal:
eBooks are the better option if they don't have DRM deleting them or making them inaccessible.
-Deozaan (August 01, 2014, 04:19 PM)
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Exactly! The problem in that story isn't the ebook. It's the fraudulent use of the word sale when what they were offering was really a license, which in practical terms is more like renting.

After reading the story earlier, though, an evil thought popped into my head - I know, hard to believe. I'm sure all of Scholastic's executives own homes. Since sale can equal rental, whoever sold them their houses should be allowed to change their mind and take them back without any repayment.

I'm not saying it's reasonable, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be fair.

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