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Book Publishers Agree to Online Browsing

Posted by Zonk on from the online-is-the-best-line dept.

eldavojohn writes "Random House & HarperCollins have agreed to allow book browsing and searching on all their books. According to the article, 'Book publishers are to trying to update their businesses as more young readers consume media via the Web, a trend that already has affected the music, movie and newspaper industries.' I am definitely looking forward to more publishers following suit. It's not that far of a stretch to imagine a person searching for a book, finding something else and then buying both books."

4 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Baen by flyingfsck · · Score: 4, Informative

    Baen has been doing this for years: http://www.baen.com/library/

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    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    1. Re:Baen by julesh · · Score: 2, Informative

      Baen's library, while it's great, doesn't include all of their books. They choose which books to include mainly for promotional purposes, and allow authors to opt out.

    2. Re:Baen by zeugma-amp · · Score: 2, Informative

      Baen's library, while it's great, doesn't include all of their books. They choose which books to include mainly for promotional purposes, and allow authors to opt out.

      While that is true, they do provide many books for free in an unencumbered format for download, DRM free, and have a WebScription site that allows you to download others at a reasonable price, also completely DRM free.

      Jim Baen got it, God rest his soul, and the company he left behind still does.


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      This is an ex-parrot!
  2. Re:Finally! by hackershandbook · · Score: 3, Informative

    Some of us "get it" - but we have been here for a number of years and don't have vast amounts of money tied up in copyright and intellectual property rights. The first and most important thing is to *own your property* My deal with Carlton gives me absolute freedom with the text I wrote - it only stamps on publishers who might pirate the book - hence the fact that the entire HTML-ised version of "Complete Hackers Handbook" is available for free. I own it - I can do what I want with it - lets keep it that way .... Creative Copyright is a great tool also - but if you get signed to a publisher - make sure you own what you created ...