[Web4lib] Netlibrary audiobooks (was RE: Overdrive)

[Michael McEvoy]

In many cases, NetLibrary subscribers are joining with the HOPE that
netLibrary gets the proper licensing for iPods soon...

The Govt can't force MS or Apple to use a competitors software just
because we demand them to. One or the other has to capitulate. I believe,
in terms of libraries, that if Overdrive adopting NetLibrary buffet style
offerings... NetLibrary would be wiped off the table almost immediately as
a valid Digital Audio Book source for Libraries.

But perhaps Overdrive just doesn't want that market

On Tue, May 23, 2006 16:24, Carol Bean wrote:
- > 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
- >>
- >>_______________________________________________
- >>Web4lib mailing list
- >>Web4lib at webjunction.org
- >>http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
- >>
- >>
- >
- > _______________________________________________
- > Web4lib mailing list
- > Web4lib at webjunction.org
- > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
- >


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   /      \     Michael McEvoy
  |==\==/==|    mmcevoy at northvillelibrary.org
  |   ><   |    Electronic Services Support
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