[Web4lib] Netlibrary audiobooks (was RE: Overdrive)

[Carol Bean]

I've been tracking this out of the corner of my eye also.

Interesting about the Mac.  Do the licensees of Netlibrary audiobooks 
out there know how many of their patrons cannot use the product they're 
paying for?  Or do we jump in and subscribe because everyone else is?  
On the other hand, who among us is going to refuse a product simply 
because it's discriminatory?  But we probably don't want to go there...

Carol Bean
North County Regional Library
Palm Beach County Library System
11303 Campus Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33410


JOHN MARQUETTE wrote:

>Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 15:56:04 -0500
>From: "Jesse Ephraim" <JEphraim at ci.southlake.tx.us>
>Subject: RE: [Web4lib] RE: Overdrive
><snip>
>
>  
>
>>If Overdrive's business model was like the NetLibrary one (buffet
>>style), my bet is that we would already have purchased a subscription
>>and had everything up-and-running.
>>    
>>
>
>I've been tracking this out of the corner of my eye, and it brings up
>the issue of Mac marginalization.  As far as I know, Macs still cannot
>use NetLibrary and there is no plan by OCLC to make NetLibrary
>Mac-compatible.  Is Overdrive Mac-friendly?  Will the popularity of the
>iPod change OCLC's marketing strategy?  To quote NetLibrary:
>
>" Q: Can I download and play an audiobook on a Mac?
>A: NetLibrary audiobooks cannot be played on Macs because the latest
>version of Window Media Player available for Macs (version 9) is based
>on Windows Media Rights Manager version 1.3. NetLibrary uses version 2.x
>licenses for eAudiobooks in order to maintain a high level of security.
>Because the latest version of Windows Media Player for Macs does not
>support 2.x licenses, NetLibrary audiobooks cannot be played on Macs at
>this point in time.
>
>Q: Can I download and play an audiobook on an iPod?
>A: No, NetLibrary audiobooks cannot be played on iPods. iPods use the
>.aac file format and the .aac file format does not support the Digital
>Rights Management protection required by NetLibrary audiobooks at this
>time. Digital Rights Management protection helps ensure that the content
>of our publishing partners is secure, especially when items are checked
>out from the library's collection and borrowed by a user rather than
>purchased. This Digital Rights Management technology allows checked out
>items to expire on the due date."
>
>http://netlibrary.com/Help/Default.aspx?Page=FAQ#AudiobooksFAQs
>
>John Marquette
>City of Commerce Public Library
>5655 Jillson Street
>Commerce, CA 90040
>
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>  
>