Was Plastic Logic eReader the one mentioned in B&N’s FCC filing? And meanwhile, how about the DRM issue?
Barnes & Noble has filed with the FCC, as reported by Engadget, though it isn’t clear if if the Plastic Logic reader is the gizmo under consideration.
What’s your guess?
I suspect that it’s the same device for which B&N will power the bookstore.
Furthermore, though this is almost surely outside the FCC’s turf, the reader will most likely use ePub, among other formats—with DRM provided by Fictionwise, now a branch of B&N.
Speaking of DRM—and not just in a B&N context: I’d love for the New York Times to explore, in depth, how proprietary DRM lessens the usefulness of ePub as a standard.
Right now it looks as if we’re headed for B&N-DRMed ePub, Adobe-DRMed ePub and maybe even Kindle-DRMed ePub in time. A piece on social DRM, which Adobe exec Bill McCoy has talked up in the past, would also be a nice gift from the Times to its readers, some of whom just happen to be big New York publishers. Likewise a detailed look at geo-bans and DRM[related factors would be nice, with quotes from affected readers such as Ficbot.
September 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I’m not sure the NYT would be able to give you the answers you expect. Are you sure they would come to the same conclusions as you on the usefulness of DRM?
September 19th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
@Steve: Well, speaking objectively, proprietary DRM does make a standard less of one, lol. Thanks. David