How e-books are distributed
E-books are normally distributed on the Internet as downloadable files that can be read offline, as be Web pages that must be read on-line, or as Web pages that are cached by a Web browser for reading offline.
The reference of the catalog or metadata ( which is data about the data ) for a file may be entirely distinct from the reference of the file itself. In other words, customers might find, read about, and buy e-books on a retailer ’ randomness Web site, but, when they purchase the e-books, they will download the files directly from the publisher ’ s or distributor ’ south servers, which may be on the other side of the universe. ( The same applies to e-books in a public or institutional library ). This distinction is hidden from the customer, but for businesses it is very significant. It allows for e-book files to be stored and managed in merely one place ( or identical few places ), even though customers may find them listed for sale or loan in any act of places. Without this differentiation, all e-book distribution would occur within close, proprietorship systems, where e-book buyers or library patrons would have to get their books immediately from a small act of owners of e-book files. Closed, proprietorship systems exist where a particular ship’s company ( or consortium of companies ) holds the e-book files and controls all the places a customer or library patron can entree them. These systems are kept closed by a proprietorship form of digital rights management ( DRM ) : a file-encryption and access-control system that locks e-books both to a customer ’ second identity and to specific software controlled by the company. Examples are Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks.
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iPad The iPad, 2010 .Courtesy of Apple In open systems, e-book files may exist in only one place, but anyone can access and download the files ( whether for purchase or free download ), because their metadata are freely available and can be freely shared. Examples are catalogs created in the Open Publication Distribution System ( OPDS ) and incorporated into e-reading applications. The nonprofit Project Gutenberg is an model of an loose distribution system. A single distribution arrangement may incorporate both close, proprietary elements and exposed elements. Arguments for and against DRM are highly contentious. From an ethical position, its practice is ferociously condemned by those who believe it restricts consumers ’ rights and criminalizes fair replicate and sharing. Its proponents, on the other hand, argue that DRM is a necessary tool for protecting intellectual property from casual piracy. From a business position, its manipulation can be criticized for creating a awkward drug user experience, while it can be defended as a creature for securing net grocery store contribution.
