eBook purchasing questions

[Bruce Nuffer]

As I've been working on NPH's ebook program, I have wondered many times about what we can do to best serve our ministers. Unlike many parts of the publishing world, the ebook side has less flexibility in how a publisher sells the content, as well as things like pricing. Here are some specific questions I have, and wonder if you have any feelings about these things.

1. Selling ebooks from NPH's own website seems unnecessary. Wouldn't a customer prefer to buy all their titles from a single distributor so a record of their library remains in one place? Is there any reason someone would want to buy an ebook directly from NPH?

2. If NPH sold ebooks from its own website it could potentially offer a bundle of the print book along with the ebook for a single price. How big a deal is this for consumers? It's currently nearly impossible to offer bundles outside the publisher's own website.

3. Consumers are always opposed to DRM, and the goal for any publisher would be to get rid of it completely. But significant doubt about theft of the product in an already low-margin industry means it's here to stay--at least for the foreseeable future. Given this reality, how much have you grown to accept DRM as a necessary evil?

4. In the world of Christian products, do you think "social DRM" would be effective to prevent passing a title around (social DRM is basically a DRM-free product with an imprint in the header of every page saying something like, "This copyrighted product was sold to Bill Smith and is intended solely for his use.")?

[Dave McClung]

As I've been working on NPH's ebook program, I have wondered many times about what we can do to best serve our ministers. Unlike many parts of the publishing world, the ebook side has less flexibility in how a publisher sells the content, as well as things like pricing. Here are some specific questions I have, and wonder if you have any feelings about these things.

1. Selling ebooks from NPH's own website seems unnecessary. Wouldn't a customer prefer to buy all their titles from a single distributor so a record of their library remains in one place? Is there any reason someone would want to buy an ebook directly from NPH?

The only reasons to buy from NPH are denominational loyalty or cheaper price.

2. If NPH sold ebooks from its own website it could potentially offer a bundle of the print book along with the ebook for a single price. How big a deal is this for consumers? It's currently nearly impossible to offer bundles outside the publisher's own website.

It would depend on the individual. My wife, Linda, prefers the paper addition because she marks up books as she reads. I could not care less about the print book.

3. Consumers are always opposed to DRM, and the goal for any publisher would be to get rid of it completely. But significant doubt about theft of the product in an already low-margin industry means it's here to stay--at least for the foreseeable future. Given this reality, how much have you grown to accept DRM as a necessary evil?

You are right. Consumers hate DRM, but have grown to accept it as necessary.

4. In the world of Christian products, do you think "social DRM" would be effective to prevent passing a title around (social DRM is basically a DRM-free product with an imprint in the header of every page saying something like, "This copyrighted product was sold to Bill Smith and is intended solely for his use.")?

No. There are copyright notices on everything. They are more or less meaningless if one is merely passing an item along to a friend. Rights which have no penalty for violation are meaningless. Perhaps you could put something like this, "You will go to hell if you duplicate this without permission."

(Comments inserted in the quote)

[Bill Morrison]

(Comments inserted in the quote)

DAVE:
I think your last sentence about duplicating without permission is fine, but would be better if to that warning was added: "As determined by the unanimous vote of the Board of General Superintendents". That way we would be sure the warning was official and binding upon all Nazarenes.

BILL

[Hans Deventer]

1. Selling ebooks from NPH's own website seems unnecessary. Wouldn't a customer prefer to buy all their titles from a single distributor so a record of their library remains in one place?

Yes. I have a Kindle and it is very convenient indeed to have all my books there, in case the Kindle breaks down or gets lost.

Is there any reason someone would want to buy an ebook directly from NPH?

As Dave wrote, loyalty and price. I would add, uniqueness. If something I want can only be bought at NPH, I'll buy there.

2. If NPH sold ebooks from its own website it could potentially offer a bundle of the print book along with the ebook for a single price. How big a deal is this for consumers? It's currently nearly impossible to offer bundles outside the publisher's own website.

If it is the same price, I would be interested. But that doesn't look like an interesting option for a publisher.

3. Consumers are always opposed to DRM, and the goal for any publisher would be to get rid of it completely. But significant doubt about theft of the product in an already low-margin industry means it's here to stay--at least for the foreseeable future. Given this reality, how much have you grown to accept DRM as a necessary evil?

We'll have to but please, if the publishers want to really address this issue, at least use the same system!

I've bought an ebook here in the Netherlands. Had Adobe's DRM. Had to hack my own legally purchased book to strip the DRM in order to be able to convert it to a format that the Kindle would be able to read. It's like being a burglar in your own house.

4. In the world of Christian products, do you think "social DRM" would be effective to prevent passing a title around (social DRM is basically a DRM-free product with an imprint in the header of every page saying something like, "This copyrighted product was sold to Bill Smith and is intended solely for his use.")?

For some, it will. But too few.

[Mike Schutz]

I will raise an additional issue. It is helpful to bundle for churches. For example, the ability for a church to be able to present a bundle option for an all-church campaign, such as "Ashes to Fire." About 1/3 of my congregation (including me) would prefer an ebook, but half of the congregation doesn't have that option available to them.

[Bruce Nuffer]

Dave, your answer to question 2 is why I've been trying to find a solution to bundling. One product would serve both needs. I hear you on the price issue; anyone who sells through Amazon has to sign a contract saying that Amazon will always be able to match the lowest price anywhere the book is being offered. So NPH could match--but never beat--Amazon’s price.

Hans, I would think any bundling option would be cheaper than buying both a digital and print copy, otherwise why would anyone buy it?

You’re right about the DRM, but that’s one of those issues I was referring to regarding the publisher’s lack of options. As long as there are groups using proprietary devices, how they create their DRM is out of the publisher’s hands. I, too, have been frustrated that to read my epub purchases from B&N I have to use the Nook app on my iPad rather than being able to read it in iBooks.

That’s a great idea Mike. I hadn’t considered that. In order to make that work, NPH would have to sell the ebook directly from its own site (currently a prohibitively expensive system); Amazon certainly wouldn’t agree to let us use their system to give away books paid for through another means. Hmm...

[Bruce Nuffer]

I have just received an update to this whole DRM business that will make it even harder for publishers to sell their content DRM-free. The copyright office has informed publishers that those who choose to fore-go DRM on their titles may lose the legal right to object to unauthorized, commercial resale of their titles. I expect there to be some new updates to copyright law in the near future, in which case this could be made more clear to us. Watermarking--or "social DRM"--has little legal weight, but there are some developments that could lead to a valid legal test. If we see a legal precedent, then watermarking becomes a very interesting way to proceed.

Another possibility is that those "Click 'Accept"' EULA's might become all the DRM that is necessary. But the enforceability of those agreements is a pretty fluid legal situation. Maybe a combination of watermarking and a click-wrap agreement would be the best way to keep the files free enough to move around to various devices at will, but would legally prevent copying and distributing the files. (I think most are in agreement that DRM doesn't stop pirating.)

There is a landmark case that will be heard this fall where Capitol records is suing someone for redistributing digital music. More complicated than these cases have been in the past, the defendant claims that a copyright doctrine specific to print books called the "first sale" doctrine applies to digital works as well. In 2001 the copyright office specifically said it does not apply, but the courts have never ruled on that. Now they will. It seems to me that if the court says it's fine to resell digital works, then it'll be a very long time before publishers again consider selling content DRM-free.