[elug] Linux and the Public Library
Brent
brent-hughes at shaw.ca
Mon Mar 28 22:24:17 UTC 2011
Yes a disturbing trend....the monetizing of data. UBB is the same thing.
Content providers are trying to equate digital content to a commodity
that has finite life and duration, like oil or natural gas. Any computer
user knows this is not the case and a new digital economy has to develop
free of these unfair applications of old theories to new technologies.
This trend is being supported by conservative governments around the
world as their supporters, largely corporate, try to apply life support
to an outmoded business model.
Perhaps, during this spring Federal election, members could grille their
prospective representatives and get commitments to change things.
Brent
On 11-03-28 03:47 PM, Tek Ang wrote:
> Coincidently, I just read on Oshawa This Week that one of the large
> publishers is going to restricts the amount of times an online book
> can be loaned out, before it expired and required a 'renewal'
> (repurchase).
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* James <james2432 at gmail.com>
> *To:* The Canadian Ubuntu Users Community <ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, March 28, 2011 4:02:27 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [elug] Linux and the Public Library
>
> This is due to the DRM on the audio, there is none on linux.
> People have been having problems with this on linux for a long
> time (see: Dvds (decrypted via libcss2), Blurays (AAC and key
> signed), Netflix (Silverlight),etc...)
> dot
> DRM does not prevent piracy, it punishes the purchaser.
>
> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 3:14 PM, Brent <brent-hughes at shaw.ca
> <mailto:brent-hughes at shaw.ca>> wrote:
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [elug] Linux and the Public Library
> dot Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:07:26 -0600
> From: Brent <brent-hughes at shaw.ca> <mailto:brent-hughes at shaw.ca>
> Reply-To: elug at linux.ab.ca <mailto:elug at linux.ab.ca>
> To: elug at linux.ab.ca <mailto:elug at linux.ab.ca>
>
>
>
> Hello all,
>
> I've run into a situation that is really frustrating to me and
> perhaps to others, most notably those with visual impairments.
> I am looking for some support on this issue from other Linux
> users.
>
> I recently bought an ereader, a Pocketbook 602, which is a
> fabulous device and it has once more opened the world of books
> to me. It supports a very board range of formats and most
> importantly, to me anyway , it has the SVOX text to speech
> engine. The Pocketbook also plays mp3 audio which is for
> spoken word books.
>
> The Edmonton Public Library serves up digital content that
> consists of epub materials, pdf, mp3 and WMA audio books. Epub
> and pdf are content managed through Adobe's Digital Editions
> which monitors the DRM and expiry dates on loaned materials.
> Digital Editions runs under WINE smoothly. Audio books, mp3
> and WMA, are content managed through proprietary software
> called Overdrive Media Console. Overdrive is ported for
> Windows, Android and Mac operating systems but not under
> Linux, any flavour. It won't install under WINE at all and
> therefore over two thirds of the digital files are unavailable
> to users of Linux as the .odm wrapper (containing the download
> info and borrowing license) cannot be used by anything other
> than Overdrive.
>
> To me, this is unacceptable.
>
> I know I am but one user out of thousands but I cannot use
> Windows or Mac without considerable costs associated with
> accessibility issues. Most if not all accessibility solutions
> under Windows or Mac are expensive closed systems requiring
> subsidies from provincial governments or from private
> charities. Vendors of these solutions know that the end user
> is not the payee and they milk this situation for all it is
> worth and trust me it is worth a lot.
>
> I live on a disability pension and as a result I cannot afford
> these solutions and subsidies are strictly rationed as demand
> is very high and funds are restricted. Being resourceful I
> took to the open source world and now get along very well at
> little or no cost.
>
> What I need is leverage. One guy is not leverage.
>
> I need others to express support for a Linux port of Overdrive
> or perhaps an on line converter tool to allow for the download
> of audiobooks from Overdrive.
>
> Being cut off from the printed word, regardless of how it is
> delivered, is a difficult thing to deal with. You can't read
> what everyone takes for granted. Your information is
> incomplete and your perceptions are hampered by a lack of
> information. It's very hard to stay informed or even
> entertained with a nice piece of fiction if you are unable to
> access the materials.
>
> Please, if you are wiling, drop a note to Overdrive
> (support at overdrive.com <mailto:support at overdrive.com>) and let
> them know how you feel. I have contacted the library and my
> councilman about this issue and I would appreciate it if you
> would do the same. I believe that if enough of us speak up we
> can get Overdrive to support a Linux app that will allow me
> and others in the same boat to avail themselves of a publicly
> funded resource.
>
> If you can help, thank you very much. If you don't think this
> is an issue, then thanks for reading this far, but please
> reconsider as it is very important.
>
> Brent
>
>
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>
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>
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