So why is this is an issue? Most people who read eBooks buy them in one of two formats Amazon’s for the Kindle and for just about everything else ePub. Outside of amazon’s ecostructure virtually all readers have now standardised on ePub format. Apple are going to be using ePub so many people will expect to be able to use ther books they have bought for their other readers on the iPad. Hmmm – no!
The issue here, as ever, is DRM – digital rights management. Virtually all publishers currently use a form of DRM produced by Adobe for their ePub books, with Apple having apparently no love for Adobe it seems highly unlikely that Apple will support this. Engadgets article suggest that instead they will use their own DRM. So not only will you not be able to read books bought for other readers in the ePub standard – you won’t be able to buy books from Apple’s bookstore – in the ePub standard – and view them on your other readers.
So when is a standard not a standard when its ePub.
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