Vitrium Systems

Ever think that maybe you should be using eBook security? That thought has occurred to a lot of people. Some have even taken action to help with making that happen. Most just think it over briefly, then dismiss the idea. Sometimes it is because they may have too much inertia to get started. Sometimes it’s because it is a big unknown. Still other times it’s because they do not know the various requirements.

Well, slow down here. Let’s look at this. Here’s 3 reasons why you should use ebook security that you might consider.

First and foremost, for the “Pro” side, I might explain that using eBook security allows you, the publisher, to control and track who exactly is accessing and reading your work. Okay, I acknowledge your objection, on the “Con” side, and I agree that you have a valid point if you say that eBook protection can be a huge pain for readers if it hinders their ability to access the document’s content. But I want to additionally point out that eBook security doesn’t have to be a pain for your readers. It can allow authorized readers (those who have paid to read the eBook) to easily access the content while providing you, the publisher, with complete control over the document’s accessibility .

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The Vancouver Public Library (VPL) has seen a huge surge in the number of eBooks that are being loaned out to its readers. Currently, VPL has over 5,500 eBooks available for download, in both PDF and ePUB formats. Keep in mind that each eBook can only be loaned out to one person at a time, just like with hardcopy books.

However, unlike hardcopy books, these eBooks do not allow the reader to incur late fees because when an eBook is due to be returned, the file is automatically deleted from the reader’s computer.

It is important for VPL to maintain control over who has access to every eBook in order to prevent any copyright infringements. Legally, libraries can replicate copyrighted materials only to preserve or replace certain works, or to transform them for disabled readers. This means that a single copyrighted eBook cannot be reproduced and distributed to more than one person at a time. If libraries want to be able to lend out more than one copy of an eBook at any time, they must purchase more versions and not duplicate the one they already have.

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It seems California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s answer to the states $24.3 billion deficit and significant educational budget cuts lies in technology! Instead of raising taxes to pay for the $350 Million in new textbooks for California State Schools, Arnold is looking to move to online textbooks, which costs a fraction of a printed textbook.

Moving to electronic textbooks in PDF format solves a lot of problems, like being cheaper and there are no version issues.  But what about protecting the publishers from textbooks being shared without authorization or copyright issues.  A PDF can be easily forwarded, what is stopping a school from buying one copy of a textbook and copying it for each student?

Do you think electronic textbooks in PDF format is the answer?

1. No Paper: eBooks are “green” because it doesn’t require printing unless you really want to print it to read it. You can read your eBook fully online or through the new hand held eBook readers that let you carry a large amount of eBooks around in a digital format.

2. Easily updated: Instead of having to reprint a whole book you can easily update your eBooks but simply going into the file, making the update, reconverting the eBook to PDF and uploading it again to the site. No full printing of the book again saving a lot of paper.

3. Less ink. eBooks are green because they use less ink than required in a printing process. Printing books requires more colored inks too. You can use colorful illustrations in an eBook that don’t have to be printed in color and save on that resource. Even if your readers choose to print, they can do so on grayscale instead of using colored ink.

4. Protect Profits. Now eBooks can be protected from piracy eliminating lost profits by using a PDF protection system, like protectedpdf.  Unlike other PDF protection technologies, protectedpdf does not make it difficult for legitimate readers to access your PDFs. Authorized readers can view your protected documents using Adobe Reader V6.0 or higher, just like normal PDFs. There is no need for readers to download any special plug-ins, proprietary readers, viewers or other additional software.

5. Printing Costs. eBooks are definitely green because they save on the process of using the printing press to create a book. You don’t have to use the electricity or employee power to print an eBook as it is delivered directly to the desktop or eBook reader of the person reading the book.

6. No Inventory. You don’t have to stockpile eBooks. They are the real print-on-demand type of writing that can be downloaded when the person needs and want it.  No inventory means no wasted printing or use of storage space.