Have you ever bought an app or game from a digital storefront, only for it to suddenly disappear and become inaccessible without warning? It’s both confusing and frustrating, which is why some governments are stepping in and hoping to make things clearer for consumers. Gavin Newsom, governor of California, recently signed a new law (AB 2426) that involves the purchasing of digital goods and services. Under the new law, online storefronts that sell digital copies of video games, music, movies, TV shows, and ebooks must be explicit as to whether customers actually own what they’re purchasing. Some digital services are already adapting to the new regulations, which aren’t set to be enforced until next year. Steam is one such company, having already implemented a change in the Steam storefront that explicitly notifies customers that they’re purchasing “a license for the product on Steam” and don’t actually own the game outright. What does that mean for you? Well, a license is just permission for you to access content that’s provided by the service (i.e., the game). If the content is made unavailable for whatever reason, you aren’t entitled to access in perpetuity. (As opposed to buying a digital download, in which case you’re buying permission to download and keep said files.) According to Engadget, this new wording in Steam is used in all countries and territories, not just the United States. Further reading: Why digital games can vanish in a heartbeat Continue reading at 'PC World'
[ PC World | 2024-10-11 19:19:30 UTC ]
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We used to know what it took to be a writer – you had to publish a book. But electronic publishing is piling pressure on myths of the author's lifeWhat's the difference between making money out of books and writing books that people want to buy? Turns out it's about 40% – if, that is, you... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As more readers favor Kindles and iPads over pulp-based books, Chantal Restivo-Alessi of HarperCollins is mining digital data to determine how publishers can maximize profits.Having worked at EMI records for over a decade, Chantal Restivo-Alessi knows what it's like to have the digitization of... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon Fox's company closed two tablet editions recently, but at the least the regional publisher is trying to make digital workThis week brought sad news for fans of Business Daily, the Birmingham Post's online tablet e-edition, which Trinity Mirror closed after just seven months.It makes you... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Claiming famous artists operated under the auspices of modern scientific thought ignores what art is all about."Art does not have winners." This is the argument William Deresiewicz makes as he skewers political scientist Michael Suk-Young Chwe's latest book, Jane Austen, Game Theorist in The New... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adobe has released Adobe Digital Editions 3.0 on Windows and Mac, a major new version of its eBook manager. The tool, which helps users browse, organize and read both free and purchased eBooks in EPUB, PDF, and PDF/A formats, offers more secure DRM, improved PDF search tools and enhanced display... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ed Nawotka visits BiblioTech, the new all-ebook library in San Antonio, Texas, which is opening new opportunities for the low-literacy community. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The British Library has bought Hanif Kureishi's personal archive, made up of more than 50... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Radio Times, which accounts for 60% of its publisher's profits, is undergoing a transformation to woo younger readersWhile other magazine publishers chase the digital-savvy generation of under-25s Radio Times is swimming against the tide somewhat, targeting a slightly older, thirtysomething... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Robertson's daily 365-word stories are a promising idea let down by poor digital designNew Year's Day saw the launch of 365, a collaboration between Scottish writer James Robertson and Hamish Hamilton, a Penguin imprint. It sounded promising: one 365-word story to be published online every... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A few key take-aways from DBW 2014: teens aren't reading for fun, ebook sales grow overseas, Wall Street discounts publishing and Amazon is like modern art. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gollancz will publish a sequel to Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones, covering the making of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'39 Clues' author Patrick Carman says he knows Amazon is a convenient option, but suggests buying a book from an independent bookstore each time you buy from Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The fifth installment of Digital Book World, the annual New York City conference on digital publishing, was held last week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Palgrave Macmillan will publish a guide to the environmental crisis looming in Tibet by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We knew Google's Niantic Labs was planning to use its Ingress tech to power other augmented reality games, but we didn't expect this. In an announcement today, Niantic announced it has teamed up with publisher HarperCollins to create a location-based ... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There are new ways of doing journalism as the digital revolution moves on. But what are these innovations? How do they work? How are they changing journalism, and with what effects?City University London is hosting a panel discussion on 28 January to explore these developments and the challenges... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Has the permissiveness of the society, booksellers and publishers empowered the curious to turn cheap ebook editions of Mein Kampf into unfortunate bestsellers? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Boston Globe executive to take new post of chief digital and product officer at Scotsman and Yorkshire Post publisherJohnston Press has hired Jeff Moriarty, one of the Boston Globe's top digital executives, in the newly-created role of chief digital and product officer.Moriarty, who joins the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Company plans enhanced discovery and search tools to explore the 5m magazines already createdPersonalised digital magazine app Flipboard is aiming to pass 150 million users in 2014, thanks to enhanced discovery and search tools that will allow users to better explore the 5m individual online... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Numerous experts from the UK publishing scene spoke with The Guardian about what evolution they anticipate for digital publishing in 2014. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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