Elektronikus konyvkiadas

[Drotos Laszlo]

Tovabbitok egy levelet egy kulfoldi listarol, amely az elektronikus
publikalas trendjeirol szol. Ugy tunik, hogy a konyvkiadok - talan
a zeneipart e'rt MP3 sokk miatt is - vegre felebredtek es elkezdenek
foglalkozni a kurrens kiadvanyaik internetes publikalasanak
lehetosegeivel. Egyelore jotekonysagi celokbol szabadon letoltheto
konyvreszletekkel, illetve masolasvedett es idovel olvashatatlanna
va'lo konyvek kozzete'tele'vel probalkoznak, de nem latszik me'g,
hogy mi lesz az MP3-hoz hasonlo szabvanyos megoldas az elektronikus
konyvek eseteben.

Laci


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Date:    Tue, 7 Dec 1999 13:51:21 -0600
From:    Monika Antonelli <MANTONEL at LIBRARY.UNT.EDU>
Subject: Simon & Schuster to Test Online Books


>>> "BRANDIS Rushton G" <BRANDIS_Rushton_G at oslmac.osl.state.or.us>
12/07 12:19 PM >>> <http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-202-1481908.html>

Testing the market for e-book sales, Simon & Schuster will unveil
a plan to let consumers download chapters of books by best-selling
authors such as Stephen King and Mary Higgins-Clark in exchange for
donations to charity.

For a limited time, the excerpts can be accessed for a $1 to $10
contribution, raising money for Literacy Partners, a nonprofit group
that helps adults learn how to read.

But philanthropy isn't all Simon & Schuster has in mind. The
publishing giant is using the fund-raiser as a way to explore
digitally distributing and promoting books, from college texts
to Jackie Collins' latest romance novel. Free digital chapters
already are used to pitch best sellers on sites such as Amazon.com.

The publishing giant worked with digital rights management company
Reciprocal to set up its new Web site, HotAuthors.com. Reciprocal's
system prevents people from sharing or reselling unauthorized copies
of digital music or literature and ensures that all vested parties
get the proper royalties from legal sales. The system also allows
publishers to put an expiration date on access to a digital work.

"Although the Internet has the ability to transform the nature of
publishing, until now publishers have been reluctant to put their
authors' content online because of the danger of piracy and copyright
infringement," Carolyn Reidy, president of Simon & Schuster Trade
Division, said in a statement. "We are pleased to partner with
Reciprocal, which can protect our copyrights during digital
distribution as we together aid Literacy Partners."

Reciprocal says it has agreements to help other major publishers
set up e-book distribution as well.

"The publishing industry has really woken up," said Paul Bandrowsky,
CEO of Reciprocal. "With most of the significant publishers we have
an agreement or are at the 'letter of intent' stage for full digital
distribution."

Analysts hardly expect droves of book lovers to snuggle up with a
computer on a lazy afternoon instead of with their favorite novel.
But broad investments are being made on the device and content fronts
to expand the demand for e-books by tapping into the formula that is
fueling the online music craze.

"I think there will be a small market for downloadable fiction books,"
said Carrie Johnson, an analyst with Forrester Research who is working
on an e-book report that will be released early next year.

"There is nothing wrong with books--so why change it?" she added. "But
there is an opportunity for new content bundling to go after certain
segments, such as travel and reference books, so consumers can just
download, buy and [update] chapters."

Technology and publishing leaders are convinced there is a market for
digital books.

For instance, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen has invested more than
$30 million in Fatbrain, whose eMatter technology lets authors and
publishers sell digital copies of books, magazine articles and other
documents via the Net.

Microsoft itself is investing in the e-book concept. The company
has struck deals with publishing houses such as Penguin Books, R.R.
Donnelley & Sons, Bertelsmann, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin
Putnam, Simon & Schuster and Time Warner Books to convert thousands
of print titles into electronic copies of books.

Bertelsmann, which owns Random House and has a stake in
Barnesandnoble.com, also has committed $16.5 million over three
years to work with copier maker Xerox to print books on demand
in response to Internet requests.

The availability of e-books could increase now that publishers and
technology makers are working to adopt the Open eBook initiative.
The industries will converge in San Francisco next week to mull
standards for digitizing books so they can be viewed on a variety
of new devices, such as products by Softbook Press and NuvoMedia.

"The question is, now that we have the specification, what do we do to
promote it and drive the market?" said Carol Risher, vice president of
new technology and copyright at the Association of American Publishers
(AAP). "Overall, the whole business of digital books is healthy, alive
and growing. Every single publisher we represent has said, 'We want to
get into the e-book market.'"

Still, some markets for digital books will be better than others.

Reciprocal tested e-books on hundreds of college students as part
of a study this year and found that a majority of them like digital
textbooks because they were cheaper and searchable. Students still
printed out large chunks of the material, however, signaling a huge
obstacle in the e-book market: changing societal habits.

"People don't like to read online; the print-out ratio for long
sections of texts is really high except for short stories," said
Peter Krasilovsky, an analyst with the Kelsey Group.

"But there is content that is especially good for e-books, [such as]
government or sports data," he added. "Maybe consumers aren't ready
to read books on the Web, but excerpts are a very good press strategy
to get attention--that is bound to be successful."

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