Of eBooks, DRM5, cracks and Microsoft

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28736.html">http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28736.html</a><br /><br />Recently the form of encryption used by Microsoft to protect .lit ebooks sold by online bookstores such as Amazon.com has been cracked. Several publishers that rely on this encryption, also known as Digital Rights Management level 5, or DRM5 for short, to distribute ebooks.<br /><br />What I personally find interesting is that hackers took aim at DRM5 as opposed to the encryption method used by Palm Reader. If nothing else, the Palm library has to be larger. They announced this morning they had <a href="http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Symbol=US:PALM&Feed=PR&Date=20030107&ID=2214727">over 10,000 ebooks in their library</a>. I'd be surprised if there were 1,000 ebooks published in the DRM5 .lit format.<br /><br />Could it be that Microsoft's form of protection requires that you activate a device and the content then belongs to the device and not the user? Could it be that Palm ebooks are readable on all Windows desktops (98/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP), Mac desktops (OS 8.6+/10.1+), Palm OS devices and Windows CE devices (Pocket PC, Palm-Sized PC, Handheld PC) which is more convenient, leaving the user to decide where and when to read it. Could it be that users find the protection mandated by Palm, essentially your name and credit card number, easy and reasonable to deal with, allowing you to move your ebook to another platform or device in less time than it takes to read this post, whereas Microsoft's activation technology is such a pain, to the point of rendering your ebook useless, that it was worth the time and trouble to crack it?<br /><br />I like MS Reader and have some ebooks I have purchased for it, but they are all DRM3 or lower, which means that activation is not required. At some point Microsoft and their publishing partners will treat me like a valued customer rather than a thief when it comes to digital rights management, or they will exit the ebook business due to lack of sales.

[Janak Parekh]

I like MS Reader and have some ebooks I have purchased for it, but they are all DRM3 or lower, which means that activation is not required. At some point Microsoft and their publishing partners will treat me like a valued customer rather than a thief when it comes to digital rights management, or they will exit the ebook business due to lack of sales.
The big problem is they'll blame the lack of sales due to "pirates", not that they didn't have a worthwhile business model. :?

--janak

[Kati Compton]

Somewhat related (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=573&e=7&cid=573&u=/nm/20030107/od_nm/tech_norway_hacker_dc)...

[Ed Hansberry]

The big problem is they'll blame the lack of sales due to "pirates", not that they didn't have a worthwhile business model. :?

Of course. :roll:

[Wes Salmon]

Come on Ed, don't hold back ... tell us what ya really think! ;)

[Ken Mattern]

I could really use the program that converts .LIT ebooks. I lost the source for a number of the eBooks that I published early on. Since I'm in the process of updating early works and converting to .PDF as well as .LIT this tool would come in very handy. Don't I have the right to access my own work? :evil:

[Chris Spera]

I recently bought a number of DRM5 MS eBooks. I looked for .lit's specifically because MS Reader comes preinstalled in ROM and didn't want to install anything else.

I don't mind activating a DRM5 title for my device provided I can always reactivate that device if I have to hard reset. Reader doesn't always allow you to do that (reactivate the same device multiple times). I've had the MS Activation site tell me that I have activated too many Pocket PC's with my Passport when they were in fact the same device that had been acting flakey.


Christopher Spera

[Paragon]

Come on Ed, don't hold back ... tell us what ya really think! ;)

Come on WES, don't hold back...tell us what YOU really think. :wink: :)

[johncj]

The reason they hacked the DRM for .lit files is that you get more "hacker prestige" for hacking a Microsoft product than for hacking a Palm product. Nobody is hacking DRM to make money or steal product right now.

[KH]

I have certainly voted with my wallet (well, actually my credit card). Electronic books are a major interest of mine and my library includes several hundred purchased books. I almost NEVER buy a physical book for myself anymore, and have started donating my collection to the local library because I prefer the convenience of reading on my IPAQ. I began buying ebooks a few years ago and have experienced the loss of books more than once as companies and their formats have folded. I have a high degree of confidence in the Peanut Press/Palm format and this is the ONLY format I will use for secure titles. I do read ebooks purchased from Fictionwise and Baen books in the .lit format, but only unencrypted books. I have a few (3, to be exact) DRM5 encrypted books laying around and I have been unable to read them for a long time. I exchanged many emails with Microsoft in the early Reader days until it became obvious that they intend to stay on the path they have taken. Given the number of Palm-Sized/Handheld/PocketPC devices that have come and gone at my house, coupled with the inconvenience of remembering and juggling Passports and Activations, the Microsoft mechanisms are unwieldy and quite unappealing.

[Deus]

johncj you are right.

[Sslixtis]

KHI have certainly voted with my wallet (well, actually my credit card). Electronic books are a major interest of mine and my library includes several hundred purchased books.

Same here, I love BAEN's Webscriptions (http://www.webscription.net). They come in Multiple unprotected formats including .RTF which allows me to convert them to Palm Media Reader Format. All of my eBooks are now in Palm Media Reader Format, whether secure or unencrypted.

I upgrade PPCs way too often to have to deal with the Activation process. For me the Palm Media Reader secure format just makes sense. I'm NOT going to distribute an eBook that has my credit card number as the activation code, and I can put it on my new PPCs as I get them without having to ask permission to access books I've already paid for!

Oh by the way, other than prestige factor of hacking a MS product, is that alot of people buy Secure .lit eBooks only to find that their PPC doesn't have MS Reader 2.0 so they can't access them on their PPCs and that was the only reason they bought them to start with.



Cheers!

[nosmohtac]

I love the digital library idea, and I have voted with my wallet as well.
I must admit I was never an avid reader before I got my pocket pc.
It was just never convenient to take the book with me everywhere I went.
But, why should I buy these top shelf priced ebooks when they limit me to the number of devices I can read them on.
If I go to B&N and buy a book off the shelf I can read the book and then let it collect dust on the shelf, or I can donate it to a library or see if any friends or relatives want to read it. I don't think that is illegal as of yet, so if you are going to charge me the same price for an ebook as a paperback, then I should be able to handle the media in the same way.
IMHO

[ux4484]

I don't feel one way or the other about .lit book format or whatever pay/security features they put in.........I just don't like the MS reader. Cleartype is fine, but Palm (for PPC) reader with the screen reversed looks much better. Isilo has scads more features and the best autoscroll on a PPC device.
microbook does it left/right/upsidown AND reads .txt,. html, and so on.....for free. Yes, some .lit-only content is swell, but do something with the READER! Then I'll pay for some content.

[T-Will]

Can someone explain how the Palm Reader protection actually works? With me I had to order a new check card because the magnetic strip stopped working, and this in turn changed my card number. So would this be a problem? Or is it only a problem if I forget the card number or which card number goes with a particular book.

[Steven Cedrone]

Can someone explain how the Palm Reader protection actually works? With me I had to order a new check card because the magnetic strip stopped working, and this in turn changed my card number. So would this be a problem? Or is it only a problem if I forget the card number or which card number goes with a particular book.

Not a problem, you can go to their page and change your card number. You can also re-download a book that you have purchased anytime...

Steve

[Paragon]

Steven is right you can go and change your number.

The full scoop is that if you buy new books with a new credit card number they will be tied to that new card number. You can go into your library at Peanut Press and change all your previously bought books to the same number...or you can choose to leave them to open with the old. Keep in mind that any old books you have already downloaded will still use the old number regardless.

This method of digital rights management has served Peanut Press quite well. It is very simple, and effective. In fact the publishers that they deal with are pleased with it as well. So it's not like Microsoft was being pressure by publishers to come up with a better method.

I fear that the hacking episode will_very_much_ have a negative effect on the future progress of ebooks. ebook resellers will tell you that one of the biggest hurtles is getting authors, and publisher over the paranioa of digital piracy.......How do you convince them that their fears are unfounded after this?

Dave

[nobody]

Maybe there are more Windoz programmers out there?

[rave]

What I personally find interesting is that hackers took aim at DRM5 as opposed to the encryption method used by Palm Reader. If nothing else, the Palm library has to be larger.
"Just because it's Microsoft" comes to mind. :wink:

[Jonathan1]

I don’t think people would mind copyrights as long as the company:
Makes it as easy to use as a book. When have I ever had to activate a paperback?
Leaves the control in the hands of the user. Sorry I shouldn’t have to call home to mama to get permission to use an e-book
Doesn’t dick with the formatting Microsoft is know for this.

No one company has gotten it right but Peanutpress seems to be closest with no draconian activation scheme, and supporting just about every platform (Other then Linux but I got a response via e-mail (Lets see MS do that) telling me they are working on it. Heck I got a second response AFTER that saying that I should try WINE.

[kellys26]

I always feel like such a newbie here (well, I am, but I still don't like that feeling!).
I've been downloading books for MS Reader. I guess from what I'm reading, you're saying I can download books in the Palm Reader format and read them on my Pocket PC? Where do I download the Palm Reader for Pocket PC? After downloading it, if I'm at Amazon.com or another book site, I can then download the Palm format?

I've searched a bit and haven't found the program myself, so hopefully someone can link me.
It just bugs me a bit that Pocket PC owners are downloading books in the Palm format. Not that it's any skin off my nose, but I wonder if publishers would see the Palm format selling and not the Pocket PC, and stop producing their books in that format.
Kelly

[Ed Hansberry]

The Palm reader is available at www.palmdigitalmedia.com free. Amazon doesn't sell Palm format ebooks, but Palm's library is much bigger. This used to be Peanut Press.

[Jonathan1]

What I personally find interesting is that hackers took aim at DRM5 as opposed to the encryption method used by Palm Reader. If nothing else, the Palm library has to be larger.

Its not about the size of the library. Its because:
1. MS doesn't support all platforms.
2. Many users HATE product activation.
3. And as rave said. Its because its Microsoft. People just don't like the company. *shrugs* Its a rep MS better learn to live with because it would take a lot of effort on their part to make people change their minds about them. Tell me anyone that has a bone to pick with Palmsource and Peanutpress? I can't remember hearing anyone say anything bad about them other then that they make stale tech. (And that is more of the OS side of things not the e-book side.) Peanutpress is about as wholesome as the Bev on Leave it to Beaver.

[Pony99CA]

I don't mind activating a DRM5 title for my device provided I can always reactivate that device if I have to hard reset. Reader doesn't always allow you to do that (reactivate the same device multiple times). I've had the MS Activation site tell me that I have activated too many Pocket PC's with my Passport when they were in fact the same device that had been acting flakey.

You don't need to activate Reader again after a hard reset if you know what files to back up. I did a hard reset when installing the iPAQ 3870 ROM update, and didn't need to reactivate Reader; I just copied the following files back into my Windows directory:

Microsoft Activation.unload
msreader-exe.sig
msreader-exe-manifest.sig
secrep.dat
secrep.dll
secrep.xml
secrepid.dat

I put a directory on my laptop just to hold those files so I'll always know what to copy.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

I upgrade PPCs way too often to have to deal with the Activation process.

Maybe if you copy the files I listed in my previous post from your old Pocket PC to your new one, you won't have to reactivate. I know those files prevent me from having to reactivate on the same Pocket PC, but I don't know if they'll travel to another Pocket PC.

If you try it, let us know. :-)

Steve

[T-Will]

Would anyone recommend the Palm Reader Pro over the non Pro version and why?

[Ed Hansberry]

Would anyone recommend the Palm Reader Pro over the non Pro version and why?
The dictionary support and full justificiation of text are the biggies. It comes with a small dictionary but for a few bucks, you can buy a 10MB full version.

[T-Will]

Does Palm Reader or Palm Reader Pro allow full screen? I can't find an option for it in the free version.

Also, are there any libraries of free Palm Reader books anywhere?

[Paragon]

No Palm Reader does not have a full screen option. The last time I asked Peter Fry of Plam Digital Media about this his reply was that there just weren't enough people asking for it.

As for libraries of free Palm Reader books. I think you will find a link on their page to free books. I can't remember if there are many or not.

Dave

[ux4484]

there are various converters that will take .txt, html, .doc files and convert them nicely to .pdb/prc for palm reader. freewarepalm/freewarePPC has scads of them.

Unless you came from a Sony PDA and are accustomed to all that real estate....do you really need full screen ereader? If so, try µBook: http://www.gowerpoint.com it also supports landscape mode (in both directions) and is skinnable.

You can also use isilo which reads scads of formats too has full screen, nice font and autoscroll options.....even in the free version: http://www.isilo.com/

There are tons of open source ebooks availble at guttenburg press and many other ebook sites in .txt, html, .pdb, and .prc format. A fave of mine is Blackmask.com

I've noticed many of the university sites now offering .lit format open source ebooks also.

[T-Will]

I wonder how difficult it would be to add full screen? I don't understand why anyone would NOT want full screen, why not take advantage of all the real estate of the screen?

[Paragon]

I wonder how difficult it would be to add full screen? I don't understand why anyone would NOT want full screen, why not take advantage of all the real estate of the screen?

I don't think it's that people don't want full screen. It's just that they aren't telling PDM that they want it......If any of you guys want it let them know. If enough ask there is a good chance it will be in a future addition.
Dave

[Sslixtis]

I personally don't care about the full screen mode in Palm Media Reader, because I prefer to have the battery meter and progress bar at the bottom of the screen. I hate the lack of those options in MS Reader. I also invert my screen colors as well, which is another awesome feature MS Reader lacks. It is much easier for me to read an eBook with a black background, white font.


Cheers!

[T-Will]

Hmm...maybe there could be an option for full-screen but still have a progress indicator and battery icon in the corner.

[Ed Hansberry]

I personally don't care about the full screen mode in Palm Media Reader, because I prefer to have the battery meter and progress bar at the bottom of the screen. I hate the lack of those options in MS Reader.
MS Reader has a progress bar. Tap-hold for a second on the page number. It'll either say "pagination in progress" (I hate that) or bring up the bar.

[Pony99CA]

I personally don't care about the full screen mode in Palm Media Reader, because I prefer to have the battery meter and progress bar at the bottom of the screen. I hate the lack of those options in MS Reader.
MS Reader has a progress bar. Tap-hold for a second on the page number. It'll either say "pagination in progress" (I hate that) or bring up the bar.
I can understand wanting a progress indicator, but why a battery meter? Wouldn't any of the numerous tools that skin the title bar have battery meters that work with Reader?

Steve

[Paul Martin]

I use ebooks quite a bit and currently have MS Reader, MobiPocket, PalmReader, Adobe Acrobat Reader and TomeRaider on my Jornada. For going through large volumes, i.e. dictionaries, etc., TomeRaider is fantastic. After using it, opening a dictionary in PalmReader or Mobipocket was no fun! And, TomeRaider can some some great free dictionaries (http://www.memoware.com/) such as the WordNet Hyper-Linked Dictionary and Thesauraus (http://www.memoware.com/cgi-bin/mwsearch.cgi?Any=wordnet&amp;Format=TomeRaider). &lt;For some reason, I'm having a problem pulling up the memoware site as I type this post, but it usually works without a problem.>

I continue to use MS Reader simply because I already have quite a few free lits. However, because of it's slow load time and generally slow "feel" in operation, I prefer some of the others, though Reader certainly has a more "polished" look.

Personally, I've never purchased an ebook. I guess most of what I want is either free or I'm just too cheap. (It's probably the latter :lol: ) But, if I were to purchase one, I would lean against purchasing an ebook with DRM5, simply because I'd like to be able to read the book however and whenever I want. That being said, I did activate using my spam Hotmail account. I just get tired of being harrassed to register every time I use the program.

[Paul Martin]

I just copied the following files back into my Windows directory:

Microsoft Activation.unload
msreader-exe.sig
msreader-exe-manifest.sig
secrep.dat
secrep.dll
secrep.xml
secrepid.dat

I put a directory on my laptop just to hold those files so I'll always know what to copy.

Thanks for the list! I tried to figure it out the last time I was going to do a hard reset and just gave up. This helps.

Paul

[taxus]

MS Reader has a progress bar. Tap-hold for a second on the page number. It'll either say "pagination in progress" (I hate that) or bring up the bar.

The problem is that once you do that, MS Reader will consider that the last page you read is... the last page of the book. So if you don't bookmark the current page, then you have a hard time afterwards finding the real last page you were reading. Considering how long it takes with some books to display that bar, and to change page, it's a real pain.

I also hate the fact that MS Reader doesn't show you the ebook you're reading when you open it. All the other readers do it.

I'd been using MS Reader since I bought my PocketPC last July, but two weeks ago I reverted to using Mobipocket (which I used on my Palms). Not that I ever had any intention of buying a secure MS Reader eBook.

Mobipocket is faster, more flexible, doesn't take an eternity to open when you have more than 5 ebooks in a storage card. But it's a shame it doesn't support ClearType. (And that it doesn't have a better DRM scheme than MS Reader has, but then there are very few secure ebooks in Mobipocket format.)

Of course, if Fictionwise and Baen had PalmReader versions of their ebooks (Fictionwise only has PalmReader versions for the secure ebooks, not for the multiformat ebooks), I'd be using PalmReader all the time (I bought the Pro version). At least it supports ClearType, even though I wish it had a decent tool bar.

BTW, the Agfa font package for PalmReader Pro isn't really worth it: I ended up using Frutiger Linotype anyway. But I'm satisfied anyway: I use the condensed type Utah as display font in TotalCommander CE (a free file explorer).

[Ed Hansberry]

MS Reader has a progress bar. Tap-hold for a second on the page number. It'll either say "pagination in progress" (I hate that) or bring up the bar.

The problem is that once you do that, MS Reader will consider that the last page you read is... the last page of the book. So if you don't bookmark the current page, then you have a hard time afterwards finding the real last page you were reading. Considering how long it takes with some books to display that bar, and to change page, it's a real pain.
Hmmm... mine doesn't work that way. When I tap-and-hold on the page number and bring up the page, the status bar shows up but it always remembers my place. Pages don't turn and my "last read" page is the one I am on, not the last one.

[Sslixtis]

I can understand wanting a progress indicator, but why a battery meter? Wouldn't any of the numerous tools that skin the title bar have battery meters that work with Reader?
Both of my Jornadas had really nice task switchers built in so I didn't feel any great need/desire to skin my title bar. :wink: I am using ICBar now so I guess I don't need it, but why not?

Of course, if Fictionwise and Baen had PalmReader versions of their ebooks (Fictionwise only has PalmReader versions for the secure ebooks, not for the multiformat ebooks), I'd be using PalmReader all the time (I bought the Pro version). At least it supports ClearType, even though I wish it had a decent tool bar.

If you download BAENs .RTF format eBooks you can convert them with the Palm eBook Studio or Drop Book into Palm Media Reader Format. I convert all my books from BAEN into Palm Media Format. Also being able to invert the screen colors is a MAJOR bonus.

I know, I know Mobipocket can do this as well, however, Mobipocket doesn't give you the option to change the title colors in the Library from the standard blue, so if you choose a Black background the titles then become all but unreadable! :evil:

Anyway, I have them all anyway, just in case! :oops: But I prefer Palm Media Reader :D

[T-Will]

I just installed MobiPocket Reader and I really like the interface and all the features it has, but I don't like the fact that it ties the books to the device and not the person...if only Palm Reader would add the extra features that MobiPocket has and didn't charge for the "Pro" version...