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Old 12-13-2004, 04:02 PM
Felix Torres
Mystic
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,874

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonathan1
As long as they support multiple platforms I'm all good with it. But I'm noticing that a vast majority of the reader formats that libraries are choosing are MS only, at least for desktops, they don't work on Linux and they don't work on Apple. Thanks for not being bias. :?
If you were to check out librarian circles you'd find they are not particularly enamored with MS or Adobe, but the libraries have to use the tools that are *legally* available to them.
Well, guess what?
MS is the only OS developer actively pursuing the ebook market and they have been doing it for five-plus years now. And they have a strong relationship with Overdrive, the developer of the system most libraries use. They can offer libraries a proven turnkey system *now*. They just sign the contract and Overdrive sets them up. No fussing setting up an IT department; they just get on with *their* business: being librarians...

Given that the libraries are loaning out copyrighted works, not Gutenberg-grade commons texts, they *have* to use a system with time-based DRM or the publishers won't let them loan out anything.
MS has the tech do this legally.
LINUX doesn't.

You have a beef, take it up with Torvalds or Perens or the other IP-hostile LINUX luminaries.

This is one case where what goes around comes around.
 
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