Comments on: What’s going on in Europe with rights management? http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/whats-going-on-in-europe-with-rights-management/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:55:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: ABB http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/whats-going-on-in-europe-with-rights-management/comment-page-1/#comment-935991 ABB Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:06:01 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=12499#comment-935991 The biggest challenge in the European advancement of e-readers is the geographical diversity of the mobile wireless access networks. In the US, there is a single carrier signed up, which enables country-wide access. In Europe with as many countries as the US has states and different carriers operating in each, it's a challenge. If you buy a Kindle in Germany and want it to work across borders, the networks need to work together. At the moment that's not the case, but I've heard it should be early 2009. The biggest challenge in the European advancement of e-readers is the geographical diversity of the mobile wireless access networks. In the US, there is a single carrier signed up, which enables country-wide access. In Europe with as many countries as the US has states and different carriers operating in each, it’s a challenge. If you buy a Kindle in Germany and want it to work across borders, the networks need to work together. At the moment that’s not the case, but I’ve heard it should be early 2009.

]]> By: Will Pollard http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/whats-going-on-in-europe-with-rights-management/comment-page-1/#comment-935739 Will Pollard Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:56:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=12499#comment-935739 Just to say that the Sony Reader is available in Europe, but with limited stock. Waterstones bookshop sells it in the UK bu there is now a waiting list. I bought one so know the box is printed in French and German as well as English. No date for Germany though. I Just to say that the Sony Reader is available in Europe, but with limited stock. Waterstones bookshop sells it in the UK bu there is now a waiting list. I bought one so know the box is printed in French and German as well as English. No date for Germany though. I

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/whats-going-on-in-europe-with-rights-management/comment-page-1/#comment-935293 Rob Preece Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:54:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=12499#comment-935293 The whole concept of national rights does become increasingly difficult to enforce in the world of eBooks. In general, I request global rights for all books I publish because I offer eBooks without regard for the buyer's location. With the relatively weak dollar, many of my sales have come from outside the US. Of course, a number of my authors also come from outside the US. I understand where the publishers are coming from, and I can certainly understand why a UK publisher who paid some large advance for UK rights would want the whole European market to attempt to recover that advance (just as the US publisher would want the Europe market to help recover their own advance). Increasingly, I think the concept of regional publishers has to go away, though. (Except where translation is required). Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com The whole concept of national rights does become increasingly difficult to enforce in the world of eBooks. In general, I request global rights for all books I publish because I offer eBooks without regard for the buyer’s location. With the relatively weak dollar, many of my sales have come from outside the US. Of course, a number of my authors also come from outside the US.

I understand where the publishers are coming from, and I can certainly understand why a UK publisher who paid some large advance for UK rights would want the whole European market to attempt to recover that advance (just as the US publisher would want the Europe market to help recover their own advance). Increasingly, I think the concept of regional publishers has to go away, though. (Except where translation is required).

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

]]> By: Carol Jurd http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/whats-going-on-in-europe-with-rights-management/comment-page-1/#comment-935218 Carol Jurd Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:31:27 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=12499#comment-935218 I am not sure about all the background on the way the book empire is carved up, but I do know that pre internet and the ability to order things on-line we seemed to be very restricted about books being released in Australia. There were also some changes to laws in the early 90's to allow retailers to source from alternate suppliers if books were not being released etc, but, as I said I am certainly no expert. Of course, with the advent on on-line ordering the public voted with its credit card and now order what they want from anywhere. Consequently book shops are now disappearing. As we were charged outrageous prices, made to wait months and given a choice of rubbish or more rubbish, I might say most of them deserved it. However I am a nice person so I won't (Ha!) I am not sure about all the background on the way the book empire is carved up, but I do know that pre internet and the ability to order things on-line we seemed to be very restricted about books being released in Australia. There were also some changes to laws in the early 90′s to allow retailers to source from alternate suppliers if books were not being released etc, but, as I said I am certainly no expert.
Of course, with the advent on on-line ordering the public voted with its credit card and now order what they want from anywhere. Consequently book shops are now disappearing. As we were charged outrageous prices, made to wait months and given a choice of rubbish or more rubbish, I might say most of them deserved it. However I am a nice person so I won’t (Ha!)

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