Are local editions of e-books useful—for example, American versions of British bestsellers, or vice versa? Yes. I don’t want E to homogenize everything. Territoriality has its place, whether you’re talking about English-language spelling or rewards for local promotion.
Even so, I’m dismayed to see Sony Reader owners getting the shaft because they just happen to be Canadians and hence aren’t covered by the same copyright agreements and so on. This isn’t the most auspicious opening for Sony’s Canadian initiative, which is too bad, since, as a PRS-505 owner here in the States, I want the Sony Reader and related activities to thrive everywhere—so Sony will support the Reader to the utmost.
The woes of Isabelle G. in Montreal: Books marked U.S. Only
"I have made the mistake of entering a Canadian credit card on the Sony bookstore," says a MobileReader named Isabelle G., reporting in from Montreal (photo), "and it now identifies me as a Canadian. Oh, well, I suppose I am. What’s the harm in that? Well, many books are now marked U.S. Only. I checked Sony’s FAQ, and they state that ‘some publishers have not authorized the sale of their books outside the United States.’ So I went and verified that… The truth is: Sony doesn’t want to sell some books outside the United States, not the publishers! Now, why is that, do you think? I can’t figure it out myself… money is money, right?"
DRM and eBabel angles
Yes, Isabelle. Let’s hope that all parties involved can make efforts to correct such messes, as I’ve heard is happening in the case of at least one major publisher. Meanwhile, given the way Sony’s DRM more or less helps to tether many buyers to the Sony store, this is another reminder of the need to kill off both "protection" and the related problem of eBabel.
Tip: If you live outside the U.S. and are tired of silly geo restrictions, remember—there’s always the public domain. If you’re German, the local equivalent of Project Gutenberg.
