{{short description|Book published in digital form}} {{lowercase title}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2019}} [[File:Reading on the bus train or transit.jpg|thumb|Reading an e-book (''A Dance with Dragons'') on a third-generation Kindle]] {{Ecommerce}} An '''ebook''' (short for '''electronic book'''), also spelled as '''e-book''' or '''eBook''', is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices.<ref>Gardiner, Eileen and Ronald G. Musto. "The Electronic Book." In Suarez, Michael Felix, and H. R. Woudhuysen. [https://search.worldcat.org/title/370356568 ''The Oxford Companion to the Book'']. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 164.</ref> Although sometimes defined as "an electronic version of a printed book",<ref>{{cite dictionary |url-status=dead |url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1242960 |entry=e-book |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208012946/http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1242960 |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |dictionary=Oxford Dictionaries |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=September 2, 2010}}</ref> some e-books exist without a printed equivalent. E-books can be read on dedicated e-reader devices, also on any computer device that features a controllable viewing screen, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
In the 2000s, there was a trend of print and e-book sales moving to the Internet,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-15 |title=Print Book Vs E-book Sales Statistics – WordsRated |url=https://wordsrated.com/print-book-vs-e-book-sales-statistics/ |access-date=2023-12-27}}</ref> where readers buy traditional paper books and e-books on websites using e-commerce systems. With print books, readers are increasingly browsing through images of the covers of books on publisher or bookstore websites and selecting and ordering titles online. The paper books are then delivered to the reader by mail or any other delivery service. With e-books, users can browse through titles online, select and order titles, then the e-book can be sent to them online or the user can download the e-book.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books|title= What is an e-book?|publisher=BBC |work=WebWise |language=en |date=10 October 2012 |access-date=2017-05-26|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204023223/http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books|archive-date=2017-02-04}}</ref> By the early 2010s, e-books had begun to overtake hardcover by overall publication figures in the U.S.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=eBook Revenues Top Hardcover - GalleyCat |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/ebooks-top-hardcover-revenues-in-q1_b53090 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616093304/http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/ebooks-top-hardcover-revenues-in-q1_b53090 |archive-date=2012-06-16 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.mediabistro.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
The main reasons people buy e-books are possibly because of lower prices, increased comfort (as they can buy from home or on the go with mobile devices) and a larger selection of titles.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/Do-e-books-really-threaten-the-future-of-print/articleshow/46581815.cms|title=Do e-books really threaten the future of print?|last=Bhardwaj|first=Deepika|date=2015|work=The Times of India|access-date=May 6, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517055333/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/Do-e-books-really-threaten-the-future-of-print/articleshow/46581815.cms|archive-date=May 17, 2016}}</ref> With e-books, "electronic bookmarks make referencing easier, and e-book readers may allow the user to annotate pages." "Although fiction and non-fiction books come in e-book formats, technical material is especially suited for e-book delivery because it can be digitally searched" for keywords. In addition, for programming books, code examples can be copied.<ref name="pcmag.com">{{cite web |title=e-book Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia |url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/42214/e-book |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807234001/https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/42214/e-book |archive-date=2017-08-07}}</ref>
In the U.S., the amount of e-book reading is increasing. By 2021, 30% of adults had read an e-book in the past year, compared to 17% in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perrin |first=Michelle Faverio and Andrew |date=2022-01-06 |title=Three-in-ten Americans now read e-books |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/01/06/three-in-ten-americans-now-read-e-books/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref> By 2014, 50% of American adults had an e-reader or a tablet, compared to 30% owning such devices in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=E-reading rises as device ownership jumps |url=http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media/Files/Reports/2014/PIP_E-reading_011614.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327053903/http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media/Files/Reports/2014/PIP_E-reading_011614.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-27 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.pewinternet.org}}</ref>
Besides published books and magazines that have a digital equivalent, there are also digital textbooks that are intended to serve as the text for a class and help in technology-based education.
==Terminology==
E-books are also referred to as "ebooks", "e-books", "eBooks", "Ebooks", "e-Books", "e-journals", "e-editions", or "digital books". A device that is designed specifically for reading e-books is called an "e-reader", "ebook device", or "eReader".
==History==
===''The Readies'' (1930)=== Some trace the concept of an e-reader, a device that would enable the user to view books on a screen, to a 1930 manifesto by Bob Brown, written after watching his first "talkie" (movie with sound). He titled it ''The Readies'', playing off the idea of the "talkie".<ref>{{Citation | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Jn6PQAAACAAJ | title = The Readies | first = Bob | last = Brown | access-date = 2013-08-28 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161129174227/https://books.google.com/books?id=Jn6PQAAACAAJ | archive-date = 2016-11-29 | isbn = 9780892630226 | year = 2009 | publisher = Rice University Press }}.</ref> In his book, Brown says movies have outmaneuvered the book by creating the "talkies" and, as a result, reading should find a new medium: {{blockquote|A simple reading machine which I can carry or move around, attach to any old electric light plug and read hundred-thousand-word novels in 10 minutes if I want to, and I want to.}}
Brown's notion, however, was much more focused on reforming orthography and vocabulary, than on medium. He says: "It is time to pull out the stopper" and begin "a bloody revolution of the word," introducing huge numbers of portmanteau symbols to replace normal words, and punctuation to simulate action or movement, so it is not clear whether this fits into the history of "e-books" or not. Later e-readers never followed a model at all like Brown's. However, he correctly predicted the miniaturization and portability of e-readers. In an article, Jennifer Schuessler writes: "The machine, Brown argued, would allow readers to adjust the type size, avoid paper cuts and save trees, all while hastening the day when words could be 'recorded directly on the palpitating ether.'" Brown believed that the e-reader (and his notions for changing the text itself) would bring a completely new life to reading. Schuessler correlates it with a DJ spinning bits of old songs to create a beat or an entirely new song, as opposed to just a remix of a familiar song.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |last=Schuessler |first=Jennifer |date=2010-04-11 |title=The Godfather of the E-Reader |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/books/review/Schuessler-t.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625093040/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/books/review/Schuessler-t.html |archive-date=2017-06-25 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
===Inventor=== The inventor of the first e-book is not widely agreed upon. Some notable candidates include the following:
====Roberto Busa (1946–1970)==== The first e-book may be the ''Index Thomisticus'', a heavily annotated electronic index to the works of Thomas Aquinas, prepared by Roberto Busa, S.J. beginning in 1946 and completed in the 1970s.<ref name="Bryson 2014 p. ">{{cite book | last=Bryson | first=Anne | title=Medieval Studies and the Computer | publisher=Elsevier Science | location=City | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-322-55604-8 | oclc=899135579 }}</ref> Although originally stored on a single computer, a distributable CD-ROM version appeared in 1989. However, this work is sometimes omitted. Maybe this is because the digitized text was a means for studying written texts and developing linguistic concordances, rather than as a published edition in its own right.<ref name="thomisticus"> {{cite news|first=Ernesto|last=Priego|work=The Guardian|title=Father Roberto Busa: one academic's impact on HE and my career|url=https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2011/aug/12/father-roberto-busa-academic-impact|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=September 30, 2012|location=London|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104233353/http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2011/aug/12/father-roberto-busa-academic-impact|archive-date=November 4, 2013}}</ref> In 2005, the Index was published online.<ref>{{Citation | title = Corpus Thomisticum | contribution-url = http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/it/index.age | contribution = Index Thomisticus | access-date = January 21, 2015 | archive-date = January 21, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150121040438/http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/it/index.age | url-status = live }}.</ref>
====Ángela Ruiz Robles (1949)==== In 1949, Ángela Ruiz Robles, a teacher from Ferrol, Spain, patented the ''Enciclopedia Mecánica'', or the Mechanical Encyclopedia, a mechanical device which operated on compressed air where text and graphics were contained on spools that users would load onto rotating spindles. Her idea was to create a device which would decrease the number of books that her pupils carried to school. The final device was planned to include audio recordings, a magnifying glass, a calculator, and an electric light for night reading.<ref>{{cite web|last=García|first=Guillermo|language=es|title=Doña Angelita, la inventora gallega del libro electrónico|url=http://www.agenciasinc.es/Reportajes/Dona-Angelita-la-inventora-gallega-del-libro-electronico|date=January 25, 2013|newspaper=SINC|publisher=Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología|access-date=May 15, 2014|archive-date=July 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720231728/http://www.agenciasinc.es/Reportajes/Dona-Angelita-la-inventora-gallega-del-libro-electronico|url-status=live}}</ref> Her device was never put into production but a prototype is on display at the National Museum of Science and Technology in A Coruña.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lallanilla|first=Marc|title=Is This 1949 Device the World's First E-Reader?|date=January 30, 2013|url=http://www.livescience.com/26728-first-e-reader.html|publisher=Live Science|access-date=May 15, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823205213/http://www.livescience.com/26728-first-e-reader.html|archive-date=August 23, 2014}}</ref>
====Douglas Engelbart and Andries van Dam (1960s)==== Alternatively, some historians consider electronic books to have started in the early 1960s, with the NLS project headed by Douglas Engelbart at Stanford Research Institute (SRI), and the Hypertext Editing System and FRESS projects headed by Andries van Dam at Brown University.<ref name = "ML">{{cite journal|doi=10.1162/109966299751940814 | first1 =Steven J | last1 = DeRose | first2 = Andries | last2 = van Dam|title= Document Structure and Markup in the FRESS Hypertext System|journal= Markup Languages |volume=1|issue=1|pages=7–32|year=1999}}</ref><ref name= "HES">{{Citation | first1 = Steven | last1 = Carmody | first2 = Walter | last2 = Gross | first3 = Theodor H | last3 = Nelson | first4 = David | last4 = Rice | first5 = Andries | last5 = van Dam | contribution = A Hypertext Editing System for the /360 | editor1-last = Faiman | editor2-last = Nievergelt | title = Pertinent Concepts in Computer Graphics: Proceedings of the Second 17 University of Illinois Conference on Computer Graphics | pages = 291–330 | publisher = University of Illinois Press | year = 1969}}.</ref><ref name="cpub">{{Citation | title = Computers and Publishing: Writing, Editing and Printing | first1 = Andries | last1 = van Dam | first2 = David E | last2 = Rice | publisher = Academic Press | series = Advances in Computers | number = 10 | pages = 145–74 | year = 1970}}.</ref>
FRESS documents ran on IBM main frames and were structure-oriented rather than line-oriented. They were formatted dynamically for different users, display hardware, window sizes, and so on, as well as having automated tables of contents, indexes, and so on. All these systems also provided extensive hyperlinking, graphics, and other capabilities. Van Dam is generally thought to have coined the term "electronic book",<ref>{{Citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JTYPKxug49IC&pg=PA85 |title=Milestones in Computer Science and Information Technology |publisher=Greenwood |first=Edwin D |last=Reilly |page=85 |date=August 30, 2003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129202157/https://books.google.com/books?id=JTYPKxug49IC&pg=PA85 |archive-date=2016-11-29 |isbn=9781573565219}}.</ref><ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/apr00/ardito.htm |title=Electronic Books: To "E" or not to "E"; that is the question |newspaper=Searcher: The Magazine for Database Professionals |first=Stephanie |last=Ardito |date=April 2000 |page=28-39 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260316033034/https://infotoday.com/searcher/apr00/ardito.htm |archive-date=March 16, 2026 |volume=8 |issue=4}}.</ref> and it was established enough to use in an article title by 1985.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=4407 |title=Reading and Writing the Electronic Book |journal=Computer |volume=18 |number=10 |first1=Nicole |last1=Yankelovich |first2=Norman |last2=Meyrowitz |first3=Andries |last3=van Dam |date=October 1985 |doi=10.1109/mc.1985.1662710 |pages=15–30 |bibcode=1985Compr..18j..15Y |s2cid=12214362 |access-date=April 16, 2012 |archive-date=April 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415060430/http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=4407 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}.</ref>
FRESS was used for reading extensive primary texts online, as well as for annotation and online discussions in several courses, including English Poetry and Biochemistry. Brown's faculty made extensive use of FRESS. For example the philosopher Roderick Chisholm used it to produce several of his books. Thus in the Preface to ''Person and Object'' (1979) he writes: "The book would not have been completed without the epoch-making File Retrieval and Editing System..."<ref name="Chisholm">{{cite book|first=Roderick M|last=Chisholm|title=Person And Object: A Metaphysical Study|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2x2I93Ui9i4C&pg=PA11|access-date=April 12, 2012|date=August 16, 2004|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-29593-2|pages=11–|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114204724/http://books.google.com/books?id=2x2I93Ui9i4C&pg=PA11|archive-date=November 14, 2012}}</ref>
Brown University's work in electronic book systems continued for many years, including US Navy funded projects for electronic repair-manuals;<ref name="Feiner">"An experimental system for creating and presenting interactive graphical documents." ACM Transactions on Graphics 1(1), Jan. 1982</ref> a large-scale distributed hypermedia system known as InterMedia;<ref name="rweb">{{cite magazine|author1=Nicole Yankelovich |author2=Norman K. Meyrowitz |author3=Andries van Dam |title=Reading and Writing the Electronic Book|magazine=Computer |volume=18|issue=10|pages=15–30|year=1985|doi=10.2200/S00215ED1V01Y200907ICR009}} </ref> a spinoff company Electronic Book Technologies that built DynaText, the first SGML-based e-reader system; and the Scholarly Technology Group's extensive work on the Open eBook standard.
====Michael S. Hart (1971)==== Despite the extensive earlier history, several publications report Michael S. Hart as the inventor of the e-book.<ref name="GutenbergMH"> {{citation | url = http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Michael_S._Hart | title = Michael S. Hart | publisher = Project Gutenberg | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121106054142/http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Michael_S._Hart | archive-date = 2012-11-06 }}</ref><ref name=Guardian>{{cite news|first=Alison|last=Flood|work=The Guardian|title=Michael Hart, inventor of the ebook, dies aged 64|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/sep/08/michael-hart-inventor-ebook-dies|date=September 8, 2011|access-date=September 8, 2011|location=London|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213052819/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/sep/08/michael-hart-inventor-ebook-dies|archive-date=February 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name=NYT>{{cite news|first=William|last=Grimes|work=The New York Times|title=Michael Hart, a Pioneer of E-Books, Dies at 64|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/business/michael-hart-a-pioneer-of-e-books-dies-at-64.html?pagewanted=all|date=September 8, 2011|access-date=September 8, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910020742/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/business/michael-hart-a-pioneer-of-e-books-dies-at-64.html?pagewanted=all|archive-date=September 10, 2011}}</ref> In 1971, the operators of the Xerox Sigma V mainframe at the University of Illinois gave Hart extensive computer time. Seeking a worthy use of this resource, he created his first electronic document by typing the United States Declaration of Independence into a computer in plain text. Hart planned to create documents using plain text to make them as easy as possible to download and view on devices. After Hart first adapted the U.S. Declaration of Independence into an electronic document in 1971, Project Gutenberg was launched to create electronic copies of more texts, especially books.<ref name="Hart"/>
===Early hardware implementations=== Dedicated hardware devices for ebook reading began to appear in the 70s and 80s, in addition to the main frame and laptop solutions, and collections of data per se. One early e-book implementation was the desktop prototype for a proposed notebook computer, the ''Dynabook,'' in the 1970s at PARC: a general-purpose portable personal computer capable of displaying books for reading.<ref>[http://www.newmediareader.com/book_samples/nmr-26-kay.pdf Personal Dynamic Media] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714173006/http://www.newmediareader.com/book_samples/nmr-26-kay.pdf |date=July 14, 2011 }} – By Alan Kay and Adele Goldberg </ref>
In 1980, the U.S. Department of Defense began a concept development for a portable electronic delivery device for technical maintenance information called project PEAM, the Portable Electronic Aid for Maintenance. Detailed specifications were completed in FY 1981/82, and prototype development began with Texas Instruments that same year. Four prototypes were produced and delivered for testing in 1986, and tests were completed in 1987. The final summary report was produced in 1989 by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, authored by Robert Wisher and J. Peter Kincaid.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA210348.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306165257/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA210348 |url-status=live |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |title=Personal Electronic Aid for Maintenance: Final Summary Report |last1=Wisher |first1=Robert A. |last2=Kincaid |first2=J. Peter |date=March 1989 |website=Defense Technical Information Center }}</ref> A patent application for the PEAM device,<ref>EP0163511 A1</ref> titled "Apparatus for delivering procedural type instructions", was submitted by Texas Instruments on December 4, 1985, listing John K. Harkins and Stephen H. Morriss as inventors. thumb|The first portable electronic book, the US Department of Defense's "Personal Electronic Aid to Maintenance" In 1992, Sony launched the Data Discman, an electronic book reader that could read e-books that were stored on CDs. One of the electronic publications that could be played on the Data Discman was called ''Library of the Future''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Douglas |first=Dodds |date=2001-10-15 |title=The book and beyond: electronic publishing and the art of the book. Catalogue index. |url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/wid/exhibits/bookandbeyond/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120054331/http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/wid/exhibits/bookandbeyond/ |archive-date=2012-01-20 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.vam.ac.uk |language=English}} </ref> Early e-books were generally written for specialty areas and a limited audience, meant to be read only by small and devoted interest groups. The scope of the subject matter of these e-books included technical manuals for hardware, manufacturing techniques, and other subjects. In the 1990s, the general availability of the Internet made transferring electronic files much easier, including e-books.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}
In 1993, Paul Baim released a freeware HyperCard stack, called EBook, that allowed easy import of any text file to create a pageable version similar to an electronic paperback book. A notable feature was automatic tracking of the last page read so that on returning to the 'book' you were taken back to where you had previously left off reading. The title of this stack may have helped popularize the term 'ebook'.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/hypercard_ebook|title=EBook 1.0|last=Paul W. Baim|date=31 July 1993|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
===E-book formats=== {{See also|Comparison of e-book formats}} [[File:Woman reading a book on an eReader.JPG|thumb|A woman reading a book using an e-reader]] As e-book formats emerged and proliferated,{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} some garnered support from major software companies, such as Adobe with its PDF format that was introduced in 1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-07-10 |title=eBooks: 1993 - PDF, from past to present {{!}} Project Gutenberg News |url=http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20110710/ebooks-1993-pdf-past-to-present/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425014937/http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20110710/ebooks-1993-pdf-past-to-present/ |archive-date=2016-04-25 |access-date=2026-05-14 |work=Project Gutenberg News |language=en-US}}</ref> Unlike most other formats, PDF documents are generally tied to a particular dimension and layout, rather than adjusting dynamically to the current page, window, or another size. Different e-reader devices followed different formats, most of them accepting books in only one or a few formats, thereby fragmenting the e-book market even more. Due to the exclusiveness and limited readerships of e-books, the fractured market of independent publishers and specialty authors lacked consensus regarding a standard for packaging and selling e-books.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}
Meanwhile, scholars formed the Text Encoding Initiative, which developed consensus guidelines for encoding books and other materials of scholarly interest for a variety of analytic uses as well as reading. Countless literary and other works have been developed using the TEI approach. In the late 1990s, a consortium formed to develop the Open eBook format as a way for authors and publishers to provide a single source-document which many book-reading software and hardware platforms could handle. Several scholars from the TEI were closely involved in the early development of Open eBook, including Allen Renear, Elli Mylonas, and Steven DeRose, all from Brown. Focused on portability, Open eBook as defined required subsets of XHTML and CSS; a set of multimedia formats (others could be used, but there must also be a fallback in one of the required formats), and an XML schema for a "manifest", to list the components of a given e-book, identify a table of contents, cover art, and so on.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} This format led to the open format EPUB. Google Books has converted many public domain works to this open format.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where do these books come from? - Books Help |url=https://support.google.com/books/answer/43726?hl=en-IN&ref_topic=4359341 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224075455/https://support.google.com/books/answer/43726?hl=en-IN&ref_topic=4359341 |archive-date=2014-12-24 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=support.google.com |language=en-AU}}</ref>
In 2010, e-books continued to gain in their own specialist and underground markets.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}} Many e-book publishers began distributing books that were in the public domain. At the same time, authors with books that were not accepted by publishers offered their works online so they could be seen by others.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Rich |first=Motoko |date=2010-01-23 |title=With Kindle, the Best Sellers Don't Need to Sell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/23/books/23kindle.html |access-date=2024-05-01 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Unofficial (and occasionally unauthorized) catalogs of books became available on the web, and sites devoted to e-books began disseminating information about e-books to the public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=eBooks: la guerra digital global por el dominio del libro |url=http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_es/zonas_es/lengua+y+cultura/ari92-2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512200821/http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Felcano%2Felcano_es%2Fzonas_es%2Flengua+y+cultura%2Fari92-2010 |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.realinstitutoelcano.org/}}</ref> Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. Consumer e-book publishing market are controlled by the "Big Five". The "Big Five" publishers are: Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/frequently-asked-questions-e-books-us-libraries|title = Frequently asked questions regarding e-books and U.S. libraries|date = 2014-10-03|access-date = 2014-10-09|website = Transforming Libraries|publisher = American Library Association|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141016162355/http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/frequently-asked-questions-e-books-us-libraries|archive-date = 2014-10-16}}</ref>
===Libraries=== U.S. libraries began to offer free e-books to the public in 1998 through their websites and associated services,<ref>Doris Small. [https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-66217098 "E-books in libraries: some early experiences and reactions."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114152033/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia |date=January 14, 2023 }} Searcher 8.9 (2000): 63–5.</ref> although the e-books were primarily scholarly, technical, or professional in nature, and could not be downloaded. In 2003, libraries began offering free downloadable popular fiction and non-fiction e-books to the public, launching an e-book lending model that worked much more successfully for public libraries.<ref>Genco, Barbara. "[http://www.ifla.org/files/hq/papers/ifla75/212-genco-en.pdf It's been Geometric!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006052628/http://www.ifla.org/files/hq/papers/ifla75/212-genco-en.pdf |date=October 6, 2010 }} Documenting the Growth and Acceptance of eBooks in America's Urban Public Libraries." IFLA Conference, July 2009.</ref> The number of library e-book distributors and lending models continued to increase over the next few years. From 2005 to 2008, libraries experienced a 60% growth in e-book collections.<ref name=Saylor124>{{cite book |title=The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything |last=Saylor |first=Michael |year=2012 |publisher=Vanguard Press |isbn=978-1-59315-720-3 |page=124}}</ref>
In 2010, a Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study by the American Library Association<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110116010558/http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2009_2010/index.cfm Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2009–2010]. ala.org</ref> found that 66% of public libraries in the U.S. were offering e-books,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/?p=1353 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804045400/http://www.libraries.wright.edu/noshelfrequired/?p=1353 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 4, 2012 |title=66% of Public Libraries in US offering e-Books |publisher=Libraries.wright.edu |date=2010-08-18 |access-date=2011-10-24 }}</ref> and a large movement in the library industry began to seriously examine the issues relating to e-book lending, acknowledging a "tipping point" when e-book technology would become widely established.<ref>"At the Tipping Point: Four voices probe the top e-book issues for librarians." ''Library Journal'', August 2010</ref> Content from public libraries can be downloaded to e-readers using application software like Overdrive and Hoopla.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/05/guidemaster-ars-tests-and-picks-the-best-e-readers-for-every-budget/|title=Guidemaster: Ars tests and picks the best e-readers for every budget|date=May 23, 2019|access-date=2019-05-28|archive-date=May 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528141849/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/05/guidemaster-ars-tests-and-picks-the-best-e-readers-for-every-budget/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has for many years provided PubMed, a comprehensive bibliography of medical literature. In early 2000, NLM set up the PubMed Central repository, which stores full-text e-book versions of many medical journal articles and books, through co-operation with scholars and publishers in the field. Pubmed Central also now provides archiving and access to over 4.1 million articles, maintained in a standard XML format known as the Journal Article Tag Suite (JATS).
Despite the widespread adoption of e-books, some publishers and authors have not endorsed the concept of electronic publishing, citing issues with user demand, copyright infringement and challenges with proprietary devices and systems.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2005-06-14-rowling-refuses-ebooks_x.htm | work=USA Today | title=J.K. Rowling refuses e-books for Potter | date=2005-06-14 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714002729/http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2005-06-14-rowling-refuses-ebooks_x.htm | archive-date=2012-07-14 }}</ref> In a survey of interlibrary loan (ILL) librarians, it was found that 92% of libraries held e-books in their collections and that 27% of those libraries had negotiated ILL rights for some of their e-books. This survey found significant barriers to conducting interlibrary loan for e-books.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/1072303X.2011.585102 | volume=21 | issue=3 | title=Ebooks and Interlibrary Loan: Licensed to Fill? | year=2011 | journal=Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve | pages=117–131 | last1=Frederiksen | first1=Linda | last2=Cummings | first2=Joel | last3=Cummings | first3=Lara | last4=Carroll | first4=Diane | url=https://research.libraries.wsu.edu:8443/xmlui/bitstream/2376/4898/1/EbooksILLRevisedApr2011a.pdf | hdl=2376/4898 | s2cid=62548634 | hdl-access=free }}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Patron-driven acquisition (PDA) has been available for several years in public libraries, allowing vendors to streamline the acquisition process by offering to match a library's selection profile to the vendor's e-book titles. The library's catalog is then populated with records for all of the e-books that match the profile. The decision to purchase the title is left to the patrons, although the library can set purchasing conditions such as a maximum price and purchasing caps so that the dedicated funds are spent according to the library's budget.<ref name="Becker">{{cite journal |last1=Becker |first1=B. W. |year=2011 |title=The e-Book Apocalypse: A Survivor's Guide |journal=Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=181–4 |doi=10.1080/01639269.2011.591278 |s2cid=62649317}}</ref> The 2012 meeting of the Association of American University Presses included a panel on the PDA of books produced by university presses, based on a preliminary report by Joseph Esposito, a digital publishing consultant who has studied the implications of PDA with a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Research foresees demand-driven book acquisition replacing librarians' discretion {{!}} Inside Higher Ed |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/20/research-foresees-demand-driven-book-acquisition-replacing-librarians-discretion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623220912/http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/20/research-foresees-demand-driven-book-acquisition-replacing-librarians-discretion |archive-date=2012-06-23 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.insidehighered.com |language=en}}</ref>
====Challenges==== Although the demand for e-book services in libraries has grown in the first two decades of the 21st century, difficulties keep libraries from providing some e-books to clients. Publishers will sell e-books to libraries, but in most cases they will only give libraries a limited license to the title, meaning that the library does not ''own'' the electronic text but is allowed to circulate it for either a certain period of time, or a certain number of check outs, or both. When a library purchases an e-book license, the cost is at least three times what it would be for a personal consumer.<ref name="thedigitalshift.com">{{cite web |title=Library Ebook Vendors Assess the Road Ahead |url=http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2014/08/ebooks/big-five-ebooks-now-available-ebook-vendors-assess-road-ahead/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811141749/http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2014/08/ebooks/big-five-ebooks-now-available-ebook-vendors-assess-road-ahead/ |archive-date=2014-08-11 |work=The Digital Shift}}</ref>
E-book licenses are more expensive than paper-format editions because publishers are concerned that an e-book that is sold could theoretically be read and/or checked out by a huge number of users, potentially damaging sales. However, some studies have found the opposite effect to be true (for example, Hilton and Wikey 2010).<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Short-Term Influence of Free Digital Versions of Books on Print Sales|journal=Journal of Electronic Publishing |author=John Hilton III |author2=David Wiley |volume=13 |issue=1 |date=Winter 2010 |doi=10.3998/3336451.0013.101|doi-access=free |hdl=2027/spo.3336451.0013.101 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
===Archival storage=== The Internet Archive and Open Library offer more than six million fully accessible public domain e-books. Project Gutenberg has over 52,000 freely available public domain e-books.
===Dedicated hardware readers and mobile software=== {{Main|E-reader}} {{See also|Comparison of e-readers}} thumb|The BEBook e-reader An '''e-reader''', also called an '''e-book reader''' or '''e-book device''', is a mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading e-books and digital periodicals. An e-reader is similar in form, but more limited in purpose than a tablet. In comparison to tablets, many e-readers are better than tablets for reading because they are more portable, have better readability in sunlight and have longer battery life.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/ |title=Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy? |last=Falcone |first=John |date=July 6, 2010 |publisher=CNet |access-date=January 26, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121115052/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/ |archive-date=January 21, 2013 }}</ref>
In July 2010, online bookseller Amazon.com reported sales of e-books for its proprietary Kindle, outnumbered sales of hardcover books for the first time ever during the second quarter of 2010, saying it sold 140 e-books for every 100 hardcover books, including hardcovers for which there was no digital edition.<ref name="NYT071910">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/technology/20kindle.html |title=E-Books Top Hardcovers at Amazon |work=The New York Times |date=2010-07-19 |access-date=2010-07-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906185448/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/technology/20kindle.html |archive-date=2011-09-06}}</ref>
By January 2011, e-book sales at Amazon had surpassed its paperback sales.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1521090&highlight&ref=tsm_1_tw_kin_prearn_20110127 |title=Amazon Media Room: Press Releases |publisher=Phx.corporate-ir.net |access-date=2011-10-24 |archive-date=September 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930191137/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1521090&highlight&ref=tsm_1_tw_kin_prearn_20110127 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the overall US market, paperback book sales are still much larger than either hardcover or e-book. The American Publishing Association estimated e-books represented 8.5% of sales as of mid-2010, up from 3% a year before.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128789516|title=Conflict Widens In E-Books Publishing|author1=Lynn Neary|author2=Don Gonyea|publisher=NPR|access-date=2010-07-27|date=2010-07-27|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727180336/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128789516|archive-date=2010-07-27}}</ref> At the end of the first quarter of 2012, e-book sales in the United States surpassed hardcover book sales for the first time.<ref name="auto" />
Until late 2013, use of an e-reader was not allowed on airplanes during takeoff and landing by the FAA.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kindle DX: Must You Turn it Off for Takeoff and Landing? |author=Matt Phillips |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/05/07/kindle-dx-must-you-turn-it-off-for-takeoff-and-landing/ |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=2009-05-07 |access-date=2011-07-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830045905/http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/05/07/kindle-dx-must-you-turn-it-off-for-takeoff-and-landing/ |archive-date=2011-08-30 }}</ref> In November 2013, the FAA allowed use of e-readers on airplanes at all times if it is in Airplane Mode, which means all radios turned off, and Europe followed this guidance the next month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cleared-for-takeoff-europe-allows-use-of-ereaders-on-planes-from-gate-to-gate-8993384.html|title=Cleared for take-off: Europe allows use of e-readers on planes from gate to gate|work=The Independent|date=December 9, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925235336/http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cleared-for-takeoff-europe-allows-use-of-ereaders-on-planes-from-gate-to-gate-8993384.html|archive-date=2015-09-25}}</ref> In 2014, ''The New York Times'' predicted that by 2018 e-books will make up over 50% of total consumer publishing revenue in the United States and Great Britain.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Heyman |first=Stephen |title=In Europe, Slower Growth for e-Books |work=The New York Times |date=November 12, 2014 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/arts/international/in-europe-slower-growth-for-e-books.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026163621/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/arts/international/in-europe-slower-growth-for-e-books.html |archive-date=2015-10-26 |access-date=2026-05-14 |language=en}}</ref>
====Applications==== thumb|right|Reading applications on different devices Some of the major book retailers and multiple third-party developers offer free (and in some third-party cases, premium paid) e-reader software applications (apps) for the Mac and PC computers as well as for Android, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone, Windows Phone and Palm OS devices to allow the reading of e-books and other documents independently of dedicated e-book devices. Examples are apps for the Amazon Kindle,<ref>{{Cite book|last=dutta|first=moinak|url=https://www.amazon.in/Courier-Service-moinak-dutta-ebook/dp/B093T5NH3Z/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1642831608&refinements=p_27:Moinak+Dutta&s=books&sr=1-1|title=Courier Service|language=English}}</ref> Barnes & Noble Nook, iBooks, Kobo eReader and Sony Reader.
===Timeline===
====Before the 1980s==== ;{{circa|1949}} * Ángela Ruiz Robles patents the idea of the electronic book, called the Mechanical Encyclopedia, in Galicia, Spain. * Roberto Busa begins planning the ''Index Thomisticus''.<ref name="thomisticus" /> ;{{circa|1963}} * Douglas Engelbart starts the NLS (and later Augment) projects.<ref name = "ML"/> ;c. 1965 * Andries van Dam starts the HES (and later FRESS) projects, with assistance from Ted Nelson, to develop and use electronic textbooks for humanities and in pedagogy.<ref name="HES"/><ref name="cpub"/> ;1971 * Michael S. Hart types the US Declaration of Independence into a computer to create the first e-book available on the Internet and launches Project Gutenberg in order to create electronic copies of more books.<ref name="Hart">{{cite news |author=Alison Flood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/sep/08/michael-hart-inventor-ebook-dies |title=Michael Hart, inventor of the ebook, dies aged 64 |publisher=Guardian |date=2011-09-08 |access-date=2011-10-24 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213052819/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/sep/08/michael-hart-inventor-ebook-dies |archive-date=2015-02-13 }}</ref> ;c. 1979 * Roberto Busa finishes the ''Index Thomisticus'', a complete lemmatisation of the 56 printed volumes of Saint Thomas Aquinas and of a few related authors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pioneering the computational linguistics and the largest published work of all time |work=IBM |access-date=2011-08-11 |url=http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/it/en/stories/linguistica_computazionale.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327122219/http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/it/en/stories/linguistica_computazionale.html |archive-date=2012-03-27 }}</ref>
====1980s and 1990s==== ;1986 * Judy Malloy writes and programmes the first online hypertext fiction, ''Uncle Roger'', with links that take the narrative in different directions depending on the reader's choice.<ref>{{Cite news | last =Miller | first =Michael W. | year =1989 | title =A Brave New World: Streams of 1s and 0s | periodical =Wall Street Journal }}</ref> ;1989 * Franklin Computer releases an electronic edition of the Bible that can only be read with a stand-alone device.<ref>[http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958894,00.html Religion: High-Tech Bible] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530100156/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C958894%2C00.html |date=May 30, 2016 }} ''Time''</ref> ;1990 * Eastgate Systems publishes the first hypertext fiction released on floppy disk, ''afternoon, a story'', by Michael Joyce.<ref>Gutermann, Jimmy, 'Hypertext Before the Web,' Chicago Tribune, April 8, 1999</ref> * Electronic Book Technologies releases DynaText, the first SGML-based system for delivering large-scale books such as aircraft technical manuals. It was later tested on a US aircraft carrier as replacement for paper manuals.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} * Sony launches the Data Discman e-book player.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Coburn, M. |author2=Burrows, P. |author3=Loi, D. |author4=Wilkins, L. |year=2001|title= E-book readers directions in enabling technologies| journal= Print and Electronic Text Convergence. Common Ground.|editor= Cope, B. |editor2=Kalantzis, D. Melbourne| pages= 145–182}}</ref><ref>[http://ebook.itmedia.co.jp/ebook/articles/1202/25/news009.html 電子書籍端末ショーケース：DATA Discman――ソニー] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022033538/http://ebook.itmedia.co.jp/ebook/articles/1202/25/news009.html |date=October 22, 2018 }} February 25, 2012, ''ITmedia eBook USER''</ref> ;1991 * Voyager Company develops Expanded Books, which are books on CD-ROM in a digital format.<ref name="themagazine">{{cite magazine|last= Cohen|first= Michael|date= 2013-12-19|title= Scotched: Fair thoughts and happy hours did not attend upon an early enhanced-book adaptation of Macbeth|url= https://the-magazine.org/32/scotched|magazine= The Magazine|location= Seattle, WA|publisher= Aperiodical LLC|issue= 32|access-date= 2015-06-07|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150626201556/https://the-magazine.org/32/scotched|archive-date= 2015-06-26}}</ref> thumb|upright|The DD-8 Data Discman ;1992 * F. Crugnola and I. Rigamonti design and create the first e-reader, called Incipit, as a thesis project at the Polytechnic University of Milan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011/06/24/foto/franco_l_uomo_che_invento_l_e-book_ma_nel_1993_nessuno_ci_diede_retta-18137331/1/|title=Foto Franco, l'uomo che inventò l'e-book "Ma nel 1993 nessuno ci diede retta" – 1 di 10|date=June 24, 2011|publisher=Milano.repubblica.it|access-date=2011-10-24|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901085620/http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011/06/24/foto/franco_l_uomo_che_invento_l_e-book_ma_nel_1993_nessuno_ci_diede_retta-18137331/1/|archive-date=2011-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Incipit 1992 |url=http://europaconcorsi.com/projects/185708-INCIPIT-1992 |access-date=2026-05-14}}</ref> *Apple starts using its Doc Viewer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.danielsays.com/ssg-mac-adv10.html|title=Apple DocViewer screenshots|date=1992|website=www.danielsays.com|access-date=2019-07-07}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> format "to distribute documentation to developers in an electronic form",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://macgui.com/downloads/?file_id=21688|title=Apple DocViewer 1.0a12 listing|date=1992|website=macgui.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-08|archive-date=July 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731185700/https://macgui.com/downloads/?file_id=21688|url-status=live}}</ref> which effectively meant Inside Macintosh books. ;1993 * Peter James publishes his novel ''Host'' on two floppy disks, which at the time was called the "world's first electronic novel", a copy of it is stored at the Science Museum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10380579.htm |title=All Eight Roy Grace Novels by Peter James Now Available in e-Book Format in the United States |publisher=Prweb.com |date=January 31, 2013 |access-date=August 1, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130519033337/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10380579.htm |archive-date=May 19, 2013 }}</ref> * Hugo Award and Nebula Award nominee works are included on a CD-ROM by Brad Templeton.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Publication: Hugo and Nebula Anthology 1993 |url=http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?253051+c |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821184124/http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?253051+c |archive-date=2016-08-21 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.isfdb.org |language=en-us}}</ref> * Launch of Bibliobytes, a website for obtaining e-books, both for free and for sale on the Internet.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jan/03/ebooks.technology Ebook timeline] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921200911/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jan/03/ebooks.technology |date=September 21, 2016 }} January 3, 2002.</ref> * Paul Baim releases the EBook 1.0 HyperCard stack that allows the user to easily convert any text file into a HyperCard based pageable book.<ref name="auto2"/> ;1994 * C & M Online is founded in Raleigh, North Carolina and begins publishing e-books through its imprint, Boson Books; authors include Fred Chappell, Kelly Cherry, Leon Katz, Richard Popkin, and Robert Rodman. * More than two dozen volumes of Inside Macintosh are published<ref>{{Cite book|title=Inside Macintosh CD-ROM|isbn = 0201406748}}</ref> together on a single CD-ROM in Apple Doc Viewer format. Apple subsequently switches to using Adobe Acrobat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gryphel.com/c/sw/other/docviewr/|title=Apple DocViewer before Adobe Acrobat|date=1994|website=www.gryphel.com|access-date=2019-07-08|archive-date=July 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708020613/https://www.gryphel.com/c/sw/other/docviewr/|url-status=live}}</ref> * The popular format for publishing e-books changes from plain text to HTML. ;1995 * Online poet Alexis Kirke discusses the need for wireless internet electronic paper readers in his article "The Emuse".<ref>{{cite news|author=Alexis KIRKE|title=The Emuse: Symbiosis and the Principles of Hyperpoetry|journal=Brink|publisher=Electronic Poetry Centre, University of Buffalo|year=1995|url=http://wings.buffalo.edu/epc/ezines/brink/brink02/emuse.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221837/http://wings.buffalo.edu/epc/ezines/brink/brink02/emuse.html|archive-date=March 3, 2016|access-date=August 9, 2013|author-link=Alexis Kirke}}</ref> ;1996 * Project Gutenberg reaches 1,000 titles.<ref>{{Cite book | author1=Day, B. H. | author2=Wortman, W. A. | year=2000 | title=Literature in English: A Guide for Librarians in the Digital Age | page=[https://archive.org/details/literatureinengl00dayb/page/170 170] | publisher=Association of College and Research Libraries | location=Chicago | isbn=978-0-8389-8081-1 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/literatureinengl00dayb/page/170 }}</ref> * Joseph Jacobson works at MIT to create electronic ink, a high-contrast, low-cost, read/write/erase medium to display e-books.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WIRED 4.02 - The Future of Books |url=http://web.media.mit.edu/~nicholas/Wired/WIRED4-02.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927033149/http://web.media.mit.edu/~nicholas/Wired/WIRED4-02.html |archive-date=2016-09-27 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=web.media.mit.edu}}</ref> ;1997 * E Ink Corporation is co-founded by MIT undergraduates J.D. Albert, Barrett Comiskey, MIT professor Joseph Jacobson, as well as Jeremy Rubin and Russ Wilcox to create an electronic printing technology.<ref>{{Cite news|title = A New Printing Technology Sets Off a High-Stakes Race|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB946939872703897050|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|access-date = 2015-12-02|issn = 0099-9660|first = Alec Klein Staff Reporter of The Wall Street|last = Journal|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208050730/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB946939872703897050|archive-date = 2015-12-08}}</ref> This technology is later used on the displays of the Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Amazon Kindle. upright|thumb|Bookeen's Cybook Gen1 ;1998 * Nuvo Media releases the first handheld e-reader, the Rocket eBook.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-07-16 |title=eBooks: 1998 - The first ebook readers {{!}} Project Gutenberg News |url=http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20110716/ebooks-1998-the-first-ebook-readers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206200724/http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20110716/ebooks-1998-the-first-ebook-readers/ |archive-date=2015-02-06 |access-date=2026-05-14 |work=Project Gutenberg News |language=en-US}}</ref> * SoftBook launches its SoftBook reader. This e-reader, with expandable storage, could store up to 100,000 pages of content, including text, graphics and pictures.<ref>{{Citation | last=Hamilton | first=Joan | title=Downloaded Any Good Books Lately? | magazine=BusinessWeek | year=1999 | url=http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_23/b3632029.htm | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304231844/http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_23/b3632029.htm | archive-date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> * The Cybook is sold and manufactured at first by Cytale (1998–2003) and later by Bookeen. ;1999 * The NIST releases the Open eBook format based on XML to the public domain; most future e-book formats derive from Open eBook.<ref>{{Citation|last=Judge |first=Paul |title=E-Books: A Library On Your Lap |magazine=BusinessWeek |date=1998-11-16 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/46/b3604010.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000208053039/http://www.businessweek.com/1998/46/b3604010.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2000 }}</ref> * Publisher Simon & Schuster creates a new imprint called iBooks and becomes the first trade publisher to simultaneously publish some of its titles in e-book and print format. * Oxford University Press makes a selection of its books available as e-books through netLibrary. * Publisher Baen Books opens up the Baen Free Library to make available Baen titles as free e-books.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.baen.com/library/palaver6.htm |title=Prime Palaver #6 |publisher=Baen.com |date=2002-04-15 |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102041103/http://baen.com/library/palaver6.htm |archive-date=2010-01-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * Kim Blagg, via her company Books OnScreen, begins selling multimedia-enhanced e-books on CDs through retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=20000629&id=SModAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RKYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3786,5721296 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312150800/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=20000629&id=SModAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RKYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3786,5721296 |archive-date=2016-03-12 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=news.google.com}}</ref>
====2000s==== ;2000 * Joseph Jacobson, Barrett O. Comiskey and Jonathan D. Albert are granted US patents related to displaying electronic books; these patents are later used in the displays for most e-readers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spotlight {{!}} National Inventors Hall of Fame |url=http://invent.org/inductees/jacobson-joseph/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205214035/http://invent.org/inductees/jacobson-joseph/ |archive-date=2015-12-05 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=invent.org}}</ref> * Stephen King releases his novella ''Riding the Bullet'' exclusively online and it became the first mass-market e-book, selling 500,000 copies in 48 hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetpdf.com/enterprise/article.asp?ContentID=6358|title=eBooks are Here to Stay|author=De Abrew, Karl|website=Adobe.com|date=April 24, 2000|access-date=2009-12-15|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318112056/http://www.planetpdf.com/enterprise/article.asp?ContentID=6358|archive-date=March 18, 2010}}</ref> * Microsoft releases the Microsoft Reader with ClearType for increased readability on PCs and handheld devices.<ref>"[https://www.microsoft.com/reader/ Microsoft Reader] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050822035209/http://www.microsoft.com/reader/ |date=August 22, 2005 }} August 2000</ref> * Microsoft and Amazon work together to sell e-books that can be purchased on Amazon, and using Microsoft software downloaded to PCs and handhelds. * A digitized version of the Gutenberg Bible is made available online at the British Library.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pearson|first1=David|editor1-last=Bowman|editor1-first=J|title=British Librarianship and Information Work 1991–2000: Rare book librarianship and historical bibliography|date=2006|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Ltd.|location=Aldershot|isbn=978-0-7546-4779-9|page=178}}</ref> ;2001 * Adobe releases Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 allowing users to underline, take notes and bookmark. ;2002 * Palm, Inc and OverDrive, Inc make Palm Reader e-books available worldwide, offering over 5,000 e-books in several languages; these could be read on Palm PDAs or using a computer application.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Palm Digital Media and OverDrive, Inc. Announce Plans for Global Distribution of Palm Reader eBooks for Handheld Devices {{!}} ACCESS |url=http://gl.access-company.com/news_event/palmsource/050302_2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427083214/http://gl.access-company.com/news_event/palmsource/050302_2/ |archive-date=2016-04-27 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=gl.access-company.com |language=ja}}</ref> * Random House and HarperCollins start to sell digital versions of their titles in English.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} ;2004 * Sony Librie, the first e-reader using an E Ink display is released; it has a six-inch screen.<ref>{{cite news | date = 2004-03-25 | title = Sony LIBRIe – The first ever E-ink e-book Reader | newspaper = Mobile mag | url = http://www.mobilemag.com/2004/03/25/sony-librie-the-first-ever-e-ink-e-book-reader/ | access-date = March 21, 2013 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130514132046/http://www.mobilemag.com/2004/03/25/sony-librie-the-first-ever-e-ink-e-book-reader/ | archive-date = 2013-05-14 }}</ref> * Google announces plans to digitize the holdings of several major libraries,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/press/pressrel/print_library.html |title=Checks Out Library Books – News from |date=2004-12-14 |access-date=2011-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026212903/http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/print_library.html |archive-date=2011-10-26 }}</ref> as part of what would later be called the Google Books Library Project. ;2005 * Amazon buys Mobipocket, the creator of the mobi e-book file format and e-reader software.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/03/28/daily32.html | title=Franklin sells interest in company, retires shares | newspaper=Philadelphia Business Journal | date=2005-03-31 | access-date=2011-05-05 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829094224/http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/03/28/daily32.html | archive-date=2010-08-29 }}</ref> * Google is sued for copyright infringement by the Authors Guild for scanning books still in copyright.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Samuelson|first=Pamela|title=Legally speaking: Should the Google Book settlement be approved?|journal=Communications of the ACM|date=July 2010|volume=53|issue=7|pages=32–34|doi=10.1145/1785414.1785429|s2cid=35048494|url=https://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3364&context=facpubs|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427164047/https://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3364&context=facpubs|url-status=dead|url-access=subscription}}</ref> ;2006 * Sony Reader PRS-500, with an E Ink screen and two weeks of battery life, is released.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644683012&N=4294953907p:// |title=Style |contribution=Update your PRS-500 Reader |publisher=Sony |access-date=November 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107043456/http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551 |archive-date=January 7, 2010 }}.</ref> * LibreDigital launches BookBrowse as an online reader for publisher content.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} thumb|Size comparison of the Kindle 2 with the larger Kindle DX ;2007 * The International Digital Publishing Forum releases EPUB to replace Open eBook.<ref name="ops_approved">{{cite web |url=http://www.ebooklyn.net/p/ops-20-elevated-to-official-idpf.html |title=OPS 2.0 Elevated to Official IDPF Standard |publisher=eBooklyn |date=October 15, 2007 |work=IDPF |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028093803/http://www.ebooklyn.net/p/ops-20-elevated-to-official-idpf.html |archive-date=2014-10-28 }}</ref> * In November, Amazon.com releases the Kindle e-reader with 6-inch E Ink screen in the US and it sells outs in 5.5 hours.<ref name="Patel">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2007/11/21/kindle-sells-out-in-two-days/|title=Kindle Sells Out in 5.5 Hours|access-date=November 21, 2007|work=Engadget.com|date=November 21, 2007|first=Nilay|last=Patel| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071123084048/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/21/kindle-sells-out-in-two-days/| archive-date= November 23, 2007| url-status= live}}</ref> Simultaneously, the Kindle Store opens, with initially more than 88,000 e-books available.<ref name="Patel"/> * Bookeen launches Cybook Gen3 in Europe; it can display e-books and play audiobooks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bookeen.com/en/cybook/?id=3|title=Cybook specifications|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306090903/http://www.bookeen.com/en/cybook?id=3|archive-date=March 6, 2016|access-date=March 10, 2016}}</ref> ;2008 * Adobe and Sony agree to share their technologies (Adobe Reader and DRM) with each other.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} * Sony sells the Sony Reader PRS-505 in UK and France. ;2009 * Bookeen releases the Cybook Opus in the US and Europe. * Sony releases the Reader Pocket Edition and Reader Touch Edition. * Amazon releases the Kindle 2 that includes a text-to-speech feature. * Amazon releases the Kindle DX that has a 9.7-inch screen in the U.S. * Barnes & Noble releases the Nook e-reader in the US. * Amazon releases the Kindle for PC application in late 2009, making the Kindle Store library available for the first time outside Kindle hardware.<ref>{{cite news|last=Slattery |first=Brennon |title=Kindle for PC Released, Color Kindle Coming Soon? |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/181810/kindle_for_pc_released_color_kindle_coming_soon.html |access-date=December 2, 2010 |newspaper=PC World |date=November 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028193553/http://www.pcworld.com/article/181810/kindle_for_pc_released_color_kindle_coming_soon.html |archive-date=October 28, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>
====2010s==== ;2010 * January – Amazon releases the Kindle DX International Edition worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/0106/Kindle-DX-Amazon-takes-on-the-world|title=Kindle DX: Amazon takes on the world|last=Kehe|first=Marjorie|date=January 6, 2010|work=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=January 6, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100110012231/http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/0106/Kindle-DX-Amazon-takes-on-the-world| archive-date= January 10, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> * April – Apple releases the iPad bundled with an e-book app called iBooks.<ref name="Announce iPad 2">{{cite press release |url=https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/03/02Apple-Launches-iPad-2.html |title=Apple Launches iPad 2 (Announcement) |publisher=Apple |date=March 2, 2011 |access-date=May 21, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706062733/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/03/02Apple-Launches-iPad-2.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 }}</ref> * May – Kobo Inc. releases its Kobo eReader to be sold at Indigo/Chapters in Canada and Borders in the United States. * July – Amazon reports that its e-book sales outnumbered sales of hardcover books for the first time during the second quarter of 2010.<ref name=NYT071910/> * August – PocketBook expands its line with an Android e-reader.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/tablet/pocketbook-e-reader-with-android.xhtml |title=Pocketbook e-reader with Android |author=Obaiduzzaman Khan |date=August 22, 2010 |work=thetechjournal.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702183536/http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/tablet/pocketbook-e-reader-with-android.xhtml |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref> * August – Amazon releases the third generation Kindle, available in Wi-Fi and 3G & Wi-Fi versions. * October – Bookeen reveals the Cybook Orizon at CES.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/bookeen-debuts-orizon-touchscreen-e-book-reader/ |title=Bookeen debuts Orizon touchscreen e-reader |date=January 8, 2010 |publisher=Engadget |access-date=2011-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107054246/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/bookeen-debuts-orizon-touchscreen-e-book-reader/ |archive-date=2011-11-07 }}</ref> * October – Kobo Inc. releases an updated Kobo eReader, which includes Wi-Fi capability. * November – ''The Sentimentalists'' wins the prestigious national Giller Prize in Canada; due to the small scale of the novel's publisher, the book is not widely available in printed form, so the e-book edition becomes the top-selling title on Kobo devices for 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Scarcity of Giller-winning 'Sentimentalists' a boon to eBook sales |url=http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/889818--scarcity-of-giller-winning-sentimentalists-a-boon-to-ebook-sales?bn=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120171114/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/889818--scarcity-of-giller-winning-sentimentalists-a-boon-to-ebook-sales?bn=1 |archive-date=2012-11-20 |access-date=2026-05-14 |work=thestar.com |language=en}}</ref> * November – Barnes & Noble releases the Nook Color, a color LCD tablet. * December – Google launches Google eBooks offering over three million titles, becoming the world's largest e-book store to date.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/45412-google-launches-google-ebooks-formerly-google-editions.html#path/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/45412-google-launches-google-ebooks-formerly-google-editions.html|title=Google Launches Google eBooks, Formerly Google Editions|publisher=Publishers Weekly|author=Andrew Albanese|date=December 6, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711211241/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/45412-google-launches-google-ebooks-formerly-google-editions.html#path/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/45412-google-launches-google-ebooks-formerly-google-editions.html|archive-date=July 11, 2017}}</ref> ;2011 * May – Amazon.com announces that its e-book sales in the US now exceed all of its printed book sales.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rapaport |first=Lisa |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-19/amazon-com-says-kindle-electronic-book-sales-surpass-printed-format.html |title=Amazon.com Says Kindle E-Book Sales Surpass Printed Books for First Time |publisher=Bloomberg |date=2011-05-19 |access-date=2011-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105031040/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-19/amazon-com-says-kindle-electronic-book-sales-surpass-printed-format.html |archive-date=2011-11-05 }}</ref> * June – Barnes & Noble releases the Nook Simple Touch e-reader and Nook Tablet.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.ljinteractive.com/index.php/barnes-and-noble-launches-a-new-nook-the-simple-touch-reader/| work=LJ Interactive |date=May 24, 2011| title=The Simple Touch Reader| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807030152/http://www.ljinteractive.com/index.php/barnes-and-noble-launches-a-new-nook-the-simple-touch-reader/| archive-date=2011-08-07}}</ref> * August – Bookeen launches its own e-books store, BookeenStore.com, and starts to sell digital versions of titles in French.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-reader-info.com/bookeen-launches-new-e-book-store |title=Bookeen launches a new e-book store |publisher=E-reader-info.com |date=2011-08-01 |access-date=2011-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012104418/http://www.e-reader-info.com/bookeen-launches-new-e-book-store |archive-date=2011-10-12 }}</ref> * September – Nature Publishing releases the pilot version of ''Principles of Biology'', a customizable, modular textbook, with no corresponding paper edition.<ref name="Principles of Biology">{{cite web|date=16 February 2012|title=Nature Education Launches Interactive Biology Textbook|url=https://www.nature.com/press_releases/interactive-textbook.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219210206/https://www.nature.com/press_releases/interactive-textbook.html|archive-date=2012-02-19|access-date=26 July 2019|website=www.nature.com|publisher=Nature Research}}</ref> * June/November – As the e-reader market grows in Spain, companies like Telefónica, Fnac, and Casa del Libro launch their e-readers with the Spanish brand "bq readers".<!-- Telefónica in June, Fnac and Casa del Libro in Nov... will split & ref. next--> * November – Amazon launches the Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch, both devices designed for e-reading. ;2012 * E-book sales in the US market collect over three billion in revenue.<ref name= "newrepublic1">{{cite magazine|last = Hughes|first = Evan|date = August 20, 2013|url = https://newrepublic.com/article/115010/publishing-industry-thriving|title = Books Don't Want to Be Free|magazine = New Republic|access-date = March 6, 2017|archive-date = February 17, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170217072046/https://newrepublic.com/article/115010/publishing-industry-thriving|url-status = live}}</ref> * January – Apple releases iBooks Author, software for creating iPad e-books to be directly published in its iBooks bookstore or to be shared as PDF files.<ref name="pcmagrelease">{{cite news|url = https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399075,00.asp|title = Apple Targets Educators Via iBooks 2, iBooks Author, iTunes U App|author = Chloe Albanesius|publisher = PCMag.com|date = January 19, 2012<!-- 11:32am EST-->|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170711233153/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2C2817%2C2399075%2C00.asp|archive-date = July 11, 2017}}</ref> * January – Apple opens a textbook section in its iBooks bookstore.<ref name="cnetrelease">{{cite web|url = http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57360688-37/apple-unveils-ibooks-2-for-digital-textbooks-self-pub-app-live-blog/|title = Apple unveils iBooks 2 for digital textbooks, self-pub app (live blog)|author = Josh Lowensohn|date = January 19, 2012<!-- 8:20 AM PST-->|publisher = CNET|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120120044616/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57360688-37/apple-unveils-ibooks-2-for-digital-textbooks-self-pub-app-live-blog/|archive-date = January 20, 2012}}</ref> * February – Nature Publishing announces the worldwide release of ''Principles of Biology'', following the success of the pilot version some months earlier.<ref name="Principles of Biology" /> * February – Library.nu (previously called ebooksclub.org and gigapedia.com, a popular linking website for downloading e-books) is accused of copyright infringement and closed down by court order.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gigapedia: The greatest, largest and the best website for downloading eBooks|url=http://vikas-gupta.in/2009/08/10/gigapedia-the-greatest-largest-and-the-best-website-for-downloading-free-e-books/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228055324/http://vikas-gupta.in/2009/08/10/gigapedia-the-greatest-largest-and-the-best-website-for-downloading-free-e-books |archive-date=February 28, 2012|first = Vikas|last = Gupta|work = Emotionally Speaking}}</ref> * March – The publishing companies Random House, Holtzbrinck, and arvato bring to market an e-book library called Skoobe.<ref>[http://www.netzwelt.de/news/91142-skoobe-verlage-starten-e-book-abo.html Skoobe: publishing houses start e-book library] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318044607/http://www.netzwelt.de/news/91142-skoobe-verlage-starten-e-book-abo.html |date=March 18, 2013 }} (German)</ref> * March – US Department of Justice prepares anti-trust lawsuit against Apple, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Penguin Group, Macmillan, and HarperCollins, alleging collusion to increase the price of books sold on Amazon.<ref>{{cite web|last =Cooper |first = Charles|date=March 9, 2012|url = http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57393834-93/go-feds-e-books-are-way-overpriced/ |title = Go feds! E-books are way overpriced |website = CNET News|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315150129/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57393834-93/go-feds-e-books-are-way-overpriced/ |archive-date= March 15, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="dojcollusionwsj">{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203961204577267831767489216 | title=U.S. Warns Apple, Publishers | publisher=Wall Street Journal | date=March 9, 2012 | access-date=March 9, 2012 | author1= Catan, Thomas | author2=Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. | url-status=live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150108100319/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203961204577267831767489216 | archive-date=January 8, 2015 }}</ref> * March – PocketBook releases the PocketBook Touch, an E Ink Pearl e-reader, winning awards from German magazines ''Tablet PC'' and ''Computer Bild''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news/pocketbook-touch-best-e-reader-europe-estimate-computer-bild-magazine |title=IT Magazine about ereaders |publisher=Pocketbook-int.com |date=2012-04-25 |access-date=2012-09-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319014649/http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news/pocketbook-touch-best-e-reader-europe-estimate-computer-bild-magazine |archive-date=2013-03-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news/pocketbook-touch-announced-test-winner-german-magazine-tablet-pc |title=Test of ereaders in 2012 |publisher=Pocketbook-int.com |date=2012-06-20 |access-date=2012-09-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319015022/http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/news/pocketbook-touch-announced-test-winner-german-magazine-tablet-pc |archive-date=2013-03-19 }}</ref> * June – Kbuuk releases the cloud-based e-book self-publishing SaaS platform<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kbuuk-announces-competition-for-self-published-authors-159272465.html |title=Kbuuk announces competition for self-published authors |work=PR Newswire |date=June 15, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619084938/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kbuuk-announces-competition-for-self-published-authors-159272465.html |archive-date=June 19, 2012 }}</ref> on the Pubsoft digital publishing engine. * September – Amazon releases the Kindle Paperwhite, its first e-reader with built-in front LED lights. ;2013 * April – Kobo releases the Kobo Aura HD with a 6.8-inch screen, which is larger than the current models produced by its US competitors.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url = https://www.cnet.com/news/kobo-unveils-aura-hd-porsche-of-e-readers/|title = Kobo Unveils Aura HD: Porsche of eReaders|date = 2013-04-15|access-date = 2014-05-24|website = CNET|publisher = CBS Media|last = Carnoy|first = David|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140525232900/http://www.cnet.com/news/kobo-unveils-aura-hd-porsche-of-e-readers/|archive-date = 2014-05-25}}</ref> * May – Mofibo launches the first Scandinavian unlimited access e-book subscription service.<ref name="mofibo">{{cite web|title=Ung millionær vil skabe litterær spotify|url=http://politiken.dk/kultur/boger/ECE1983220/ung-millionaer-vil-skabe-litteraer-spotify/|date=2015-05-12|publisher=Politiken|first=Steffen|last=Boesen|access-date=2015-05-12|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804075334/http://politiken.dk/kultur/boger/ECE1983220/ung-millionaer-vil-skabe-litteraer-spotify/|archive-date=2014-08-04}}</ref> * June – Association of American Publishers announces that e-books now account for about 20% of book sales. Barnes & Noble estimates it has a 27% share of the US e-book market.<ref name="nbcnews1">{{cite news |title=Barnes & Noble to stop making most of its own Nook tablets |author=Phil Wahba |date=June 25, 2013 |publisher=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/technology/barnes-noble-stop-making-most-its-own-nook-tablets-6C10448995 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807033712/http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/barnes-noble-stop-making-most-its-own-nook-tablets-6C10448995 |archive-date=August 7, 2013 }}</ref> * June – Barnes & Noble announces its intention to discontinue manufacturing Nook tablets, but to continue producing black-and-white e-readers such as the Nook Simple Touch.<ref name="nbcnews1" /> * June – Apple executive Keith Moerer testifies in the e-book price fixing trial that the iBookstore held approximately 20% of the e-book market share in the United States within the months after launch – a figure that ''Publishers Weekly'' reports is roughly double many of the previous estimates made by third parties. Moerer further testified that iBookstore acquired about an additional 20% by adding Random House in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|journal=MacRumors|title=Apple Claims 20% of U.S. E-Book Market, Double Previous Estimates|date=June 12, 2013|author=Eric Slivka|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/12/apple-claims-20-of-u-s-e-book-market-double-previous-estimates/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807032810/http://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/12/apple-claims-20-of-u-s-e-book-market-double-previous-estimates/|archive-date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> thumb|right|A Kobo Aura's settings menu * Five major US e-book publishers, as part of their settlement of a price-fixing suit, are ordered to refund about $3 for every electronic copy of a New York Times best-seller that they sold from April 2010 to May 2012.<ref name="newrepublic1"/> This could equal $160 million in settlement charges. * Barnes & Noble releases the Nook Glowlight, which has a 6-inch touchscreen using E Ink Pearl and Regal, with built-in front LED lights. * July – US District Court Judge Denise Cote finds Apple guilty of conspiring to raise the retail price of e-books and schedules a trial in 2014 to determine damages.<ref>[http://www.tuaw.com/2013/07/10/judge-finds-apple-guilty-of-fixing-ebook-prices/ Judge finds Apple guilty of fixing e-book prices (Updated)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114062920/http://www.tuaw.com/2013/07/10/judge-finds-apple-guilty-of-fixing-ebook-prices/ |date=January 14, 2015 }}. Retrieved December 17, 2014.</ref> * August – Kobo releases the Kobo Aura, a baseline touchscreen six-inch e-reader. * September – Oyster launches its unlimited access e-book subscription service.<ref name="oyster">{{cite web|title=With Oyster, keep 100,000 books in your pocket for $10 a month|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3016854/tech-forecast/with-oyster-keep-100000-books-in-your-pocket-for-10-a-month|date=2013-09-05|publisher=Fast Company|first=Christina|last=Chaey|access-date=2013-12-10|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124135959/http://www.fastcompany.com/3016854/tech-forecast/with-oyster-keep-100000-books-in-your-pocket-for-10-a-month|archive-date=2013-11-24}}</ref> * November – US District Judge Chin sides with Google in ''Authors Guild v. Google'', citing fair use.<ref name="Ars Technica">{{cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/11/google-books-ruled-legal-in-massive-win-for-fair-use |title=Google Books ruled legal in massive win for fair use |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430033608/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/11/google-books-ruled-legal-in-massive-win-for-fair-use/ |archive-date=2017-04-30 }}</ref> The authors said they would appeal.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/business/media/judge-sides-with-google-on-book-scanning-suit.html "Siding With Google, Judge Says Book Search Does Not Infringe Copyright"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120173442/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/business/media/judge-sides-with-google-on-book-scanning-suit.html |date=January 20, 2017 }}, Claire Cain Miller and Julie Bosman, ''The New York Times'', November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2013.</ref> * December – Scribd launches the first public unlimited access subscription service for e-books.<ref name="wired.com">{{cite magazine | last =Metz | first =Cade | url =https://www.wired.com/business/2013/10/scribd_book_subscription/ | title =Scribd Challenges Amazon and Apple With 'Netflix for Books' | magazine =Wired | access-date =2013-12-30 | url-status =live | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131230050245/http://www.wired.com/business/2013/10/scribd_book_subscription/ | archive-date =2013-12-30 }}</ref> ;2014 * April – Kobo releases the Aura H₂0, the world's first waterproof commercially produced e-reader.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/04/kobo-crams-1-5-million-pixels-into-its-6-8-aura-hd-e-reader/ | title = Kobo crams 1.5 million pixels into its 6.8" Aura H2O e-reader | date = April 15, 2013 | publisher = Ars Technica | access-date = 2014-04-16 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140614085849/http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/04/kobo-crams-1-5-million-pixels-into-its-6-8-aura-hd-e-reader/ | archive-date = 2014-06-14 }}</ref> * June – US District Court Judge Cote grants class action certification to plaintiffs in a lawsuit over Apple's alleged e-book price conspiracy; the plaintiffs are seeking $840 million in damages.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/apple-faces-certified-class-action-suit-over-e-book-price-conspiracy/ | title = Apple faces certified class action suit over e-book price conspiracy | date = March 29, 2014 | publisher = Ars | access-date = 2014-06-17 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140620025610/http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/apple-faces-certified-class-action-suit-over-e-book-price-conspiracy/ | archive-date = 2014-06-20 }}</ref> Apple appeals the decision. * June – Apple settles the e-book antitrust case that alleged Apple conspired to e-book price fixing out of court with the States; however if Judge Cote's ruling is overturned in appeal the settlement would be reversed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-settles-ebook-antitrust-case-set-to-pay-millions-in-damages/ |title=Apple settles ebook antitrust case, set to pay millions in damages |publisher=ZDNet |access-date=2014-06-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617122437/http://www.zdnet.com/apple-settles-ebook-antitrust-case-set-to-pay-millions-in-damages-7000030614/ |archive-date=2014-06-17 }}</ref> * July – Amazon launches Kindle Unlimited, an unlimited-access e-book and audiobook subscription service.<ref>{{Citation | url = https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201550610 | publisher = Amazon | title = About Kindle Unlimited | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170806050657/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201550610 | archive-date = 2017-08-06 }}.</ref> ;2015 * June – The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals with a 2:1 vote concurs with Judge Cote that Apple conspired to e-book price fixing and violated federal antitrust law.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/06/30/apple-loses-appeal-in-ebook-antitrust-case/ | title = Apple Loses Appeal in eBook Antitrust Case | work = The Digital Reader | date = June 30, 2015 | access-date = June 30, 2015 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150701002702/http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/06/30/apple-loses-appeal-in-ebook-antitrust-case/ | archive-date = July 1, 2015 }}.</ref> Apple appealed the decision. * June – Amazon releases the Kindle Paperwhite (3rd generation) that is the first e-reader to feature Bookerly, a font exclusively designed for e-readers.<ref>{{Citation | publisher = Amazon | url = https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=11624010011 | title = New Bookerly Font and Typography Features | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160414115203/http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=11624010011 | archive-date = 2016-04-14 }}.</ref> * September – Oyster announces its unlimited access e-book subscription service would be shut down in early 2016 and that it would be acquired by Google.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.oysterbooks.com |title=Oyster HQ Blog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930140427/http://blog.oysterbooks.com/ |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> * September – Malaysian e-book company, e-Sentral, introduces for the first time geo-location distribution technology for e-books via bluetooth beacon. It was first demonstrated in a large scale at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.beritaharian.sg/dunia/pinjam-e-buku-di-klia|title=Pinjam e-buku di KLIA, Berita Dunia – BeritaHarian.sg|last=migration|date=2015-09-30|website=BeritaHarian|access-date=2016-04-27|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509141821/http://www.beritaharian.sg/dunia/pinjam-e-buku-di-klia|archive-date=2016-05-09}}</ref> * October – Amazon releases the Kindle Voyage that has a 6-inch, 300 ppi E Ink Carta HD display, which was the highest resolution and contrast available in e-readers as of 2014.<ref>{{Citation | url = https://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-kindle-voyage/ | title = Amazon Kindle Voyage review: Amazon's best e-reader yet | publisher = CNet | access-date = February 24, 2015 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150215004250/http://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-kindle-voyage/ | archive-date = 2015-02-15 }}.</ref> It also features adaptive LED lights and page turn sensors on the sides of the device. * October – Barnes & Noble releases the Glowlight Plus, its first waterproof e-reader.<ref>[http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/10/21/nook-glowlight-plus-now-available-waterproof-dust-proof-300ppi-screen-and-only-129/ Nook Glowlight Plus Now Available – Waterproof, Dust-Proof, 300ppi Screen, and only $129] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021200451/http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/10/21/nook-glowlight-plus-now-available-waterproof-dust-proof-300ppi-screen-and-only-129/ |date=October 21, 2015 }}. Retrieved October 21, 2015.</ref> * October – The US appeals court sides with Google instead of the Authors' Guild, declaring that Google did not violate copyright law in its book scanning project.<ref name="reuters_2015_10_16">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-books-idUSKCN0SA1S020151016|title=Google book-scanning project legal, says U.S. appeals court|publisher=Reuters|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022204532/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/16/us-google-books-idUSKCN0SA1S020151016|archive-date=2015-10-22}}</ref> * December – Playster launches an unlimited-access subscription service including e-books and audiobooks.<ref>[http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/playstar-audiobook-and-e-book-subscription-debuts-in-the-us Playster audiobook and e-book subscription debuts in the US] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103172126/http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/playstar-audiobook-and-e-book-subscription-debuts-in-the-us |date=January 3, 2016 }}. Retrieved January 11, 2015.</ref> * By the end of 2015, Google Books scanned more than 25 million books.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> * By 2015, over 70 million e-readers had been shipped worldwide.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> ;2016 * March – The Supreme Court of the United States declines to hear Apple's appeal against the court's decision of July 2013 that the company conspired to e-book price fixing, hence the previous court decision stands, obliging Apple to pay $450 million.<ref>[http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/03/07/apple-hook-450m-settlement-supreme-court-rejects-apples-ebook-conspiracy-appeal/ Apple is On the Hook for the $450m Settlement after Supreme Court Rejects Apple's eBook Conspiracy Appeal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308113019/http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/03/07/apple-hook-450m-settlement-supreme-court-rejects-apples-ebook-conspiracy-appeal/ |date=March 8, 2016 }} March 7, 2016</ref> * April – The Supreme Court declines to hear the Authors Guild's appeal of its book scanning case, so the lower court's decision stands; the result means that Google can scan library books and display snippets in search results without violating US copyright law.<ref>[http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/04/18/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-google-book-scanning-project/ US Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Google Book-Scanning Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418172749/http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/04/18/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-google-book-scanning-project/ |date=April 18, 2016 }} April 18, 2016</ref> * April – Amazon releases the Kindle Oasis, its first e-reader in five years to have physical page turn buttons and, as a premium product, it includes a leather case with a battery inside; without including the case, it is the lightest e-reader on the market to date.<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/13/11411056/new-amazon-kindle-oasis-e-reader-announced-price-specs-release-date Amazon's Kindle Oasis is the funkiest e-reader it's ever made] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808033012/https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/13/11411056/new-amazon-kindle-oasis-e-reader-announced-price-specs-release-date |date=August 8, 2017 }} The Verge Retrieved April 13, 2016</ref> * August – Kobo releases the Aura One, the first commercial e-reader with a 7.8-inch E Ink Carta HD display.<ref>[http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/08/09/kobo-aura-one-leaks-300-ppi-7-8-e-ink-screen-229-euros/ Kobo Aura One Leaks, Has a 300 PPI 7.8″ E-ink Screen for 229 Euros] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812121511/http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/08/09/kobo-aura-one-leaks-300-ppi-7-8-e-ink-screen-229-euros/ |date=August 12, 2016 }} The Digital Reader, Retrieved August 15, 2016.</ref> * By the end of the year, smartphones and tablets have both individually overtaken e-readers as methods for reading an e-book, and paperback book sales are now higher than e-book sales.<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/17/paperback-books-sales-outperform-digital-titles-amazon-ebooks|title=Paperback fighter: sales of physical books now outperform digital titles|first=Zoe|last=Wood|date=March 17, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322162022/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/17/paperback-books-sales-outperform-digital-titles-amazon-ebooks|archive-date=March 22, 2017}}</ref>
;2017 * February – The Association of American Publishers releases data showing that the US adult e-book market declined 16.9% in the first nine months of 2016 over the same period in 2015, and Nielsen Book determines that the e-book market had an overall total decline of 16% in 2016 over 2015, including all age groups.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenduffer/2017/02/28/e-book-sales-down-17-in-first-three-quarters-of-2016/#1911103331e0 E-Book Sales Down 17% In First Three Quarters Of 2016] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307051804/https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenduffer/2017/02/28/e-book-sales-down-17-in-first-three-quarters-of-2016/ |date=March 7, 2017 }} Forbes, Retrieved March 6, 2017</ref> This decline is partly due to widespread e-book price increases by major publishers, which has increased the average e-book price from $6 to almost $10.<ref name="LA"/> * February – The US version of Kindle Unlimited comprises more than 1.5 million titles, including over 290,000 foreign language titles.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_154606011_nr_p_n_feature_nineteen_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A!133141011%2Cn%3A154606011%2Cp_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A9045887011&bbn=154606011&ie=UTF8&qid=1456423638&rnid=9045886011 Amazon.com: Kindle Unlimited: Kindle Store] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731185653/https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_154606011_nr_p_n_feature_nineteen_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A!133141011%2Cn%3A154606011%2Cp_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A9045887011&bbn=154606011&ie=UTF8&qid=1456423638&rnid=9045886011 |date=July 31, 2021 }} Retrieved April 17, 2017.</ref> * March – ''The Guardian'' reports that sales of physical books are outperforming digital titles in the UK, since it can be cheaper to buy the physical version of a book when compared to the digital version due to Amazon's deal with publishers that allows agency pricing.<ref name="auto1"/> * April – The ''Los Angeles Times'' reports that, in 2016, sales of hardcover books were higher than e-books for the first time in five years.<ref name="LA">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-ebooks-20170501-story.html|title=No, ebooks aren't dying — but their quest to dominate the reading world has hit a speed bump|first=Michael|last=Hiltzik|date=May 1, 2017|newspaper=LA Times|access-date=May 12, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510163555/http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-ebooks-20170501-story.html|archive-date=May 10, 2017}}</ref> * October – Amazon releases the Oasis 2, the first Kindle to be IPX8 rated meaning that it is water resistant up to 2 meters for up to 60 minutes; it is also the first Kindle to enable white text on a black background, a feature that may be helpful for nighttime reading.
;2018 *January – U.S. public libraries report record-breaking borrowing of OverDrive e-books over the course of the year, with more than 274 million e-books loaned to card holders, a 22% increase over the 2017 figure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://company.overdrive.com/2019/01/08/public-libraries-achieve-record-breaking-ebook-and-audiobook-usage-in-2018/|title=Public Libraries Achieve Record-Breaking Ebook and Audiobook Usage in 2018|date=January 8, 2019|publisher=Overdrive|access-date=May 30, 2019|archive-date=May 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530193425/https://company.overdrive.com/2019/01/08/public-libraries-achieve-record-breaking-ebook-and-audiobook-usage-in-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref> * October – The EU allowed its member countries to charge the same VAT for ebooks as for paper books.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ha|first1=Thu-Huong|title=The European Union has decided that ebooks are really books, after all|url=https://qz.com/1411845/eu-lowers-vat-for-ebooks-to-match-print-books/|date=October 3, 2018|access-date=February 20, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220063141/https://qz.com/1411845/eu-lowers-vat-for-ebooks-to-match-print-books/|url-status=live}}</ref>
;2019 * May – Barnes & Noble releases the GlowLight Plus e-reader, the largest Nook e-reader to date with a 7.8-inch E Ink screen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/23/18637006/barnes-and-noble-nook-glowlight-plus-ereader-announcement|website=The Verge|title=Barnes & Noble announces new NOOK GlowLight Plus e-reader|date=May 23, 2019|language=en|access-date=May 23, 2019|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523155818/https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/23/18637006/barnes-and-noble-nook-glowlight-plus-ereader-announcement|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Formats== {{Main|Comparison of e-book formats}} Writers and publishers have many formats to choose from when publishing e-books. Each format has advantages and disadvantages. The most popular e-readers<ref name="mccracken1">{{cite news |last=McCracken |first=Jeffrey |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-22/barnes-noble-is-said-to-be-likely-to-end-search-for-buyer-without-a-sale.html |title=Barnes & Noble Said to Be Likely to End Search Without Buyer |publisher=Bloomberg |date=2011-03-23 |access-date=2011-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105234135/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-22/barnes-noble-is-said-to-be-likely-to-end-search-for-buyer-without-a-sale.html |archive-date=2011-11-05 }}</ref> and their natively supported formats are shown below:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left; width:75%;" |- ! Reader ! Native e-book formats |- | Amazon Kindle and Fire tablets<ref name="inquirer-sony-kindle"/> | EPUB,{{efn|As of 2022, Kindle devices support importing EPUB files<ref name="TechRadar">{{cite web|last=Cadenas|first=Cesar|date=2022-05-03|title=Amazon Kindle will finally support EPUB books - but there's a catch|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/amazon-kindle-will-finally-support-epub-books-but-theres-a-catch|access-date=2024-04-13|website=TechRadar}}</ref>}} KFX, AZW, AZW3, KF8, non-DRM MOBI,{{efn|As of 2022, Kindle devices removed support for importing MOBI files<ref name="TechRadar" />}} PDF, PRC, TXT |- | Barnes & Noble Nook and Nook Tablet<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/container/standard_bothnavs.asp?PID=35678 |title=Beyond Ebooks |access-date=June 12, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222310/http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/container/standard_bothnavs.asp?PID=35678 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 }}</ref> | EPUB, PDF |- | Apple iPad<ref name=engadget>{{cite web |access-date=January 27, 2010 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/the-apple-ipad/ |title=The Apple iPad: starting at $499 |work=Engadget |date=January 27, 2010 |author=Patel, Nilay |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129010044/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/the-apple-ipad/ |archive-date=January 29, 2010 }}</ref> | EPUB, IBA,{{efn|Multitouch books made via iBooks Author}} PDF |- | Sony Reader<ref name="inquirer-sony-kindle">{{cite web | url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/1732281/sony-reader-touch-amazon-kindle-head-head | title=Sony Reader Touch and Amazon Kindle 3 go head-to-head | publisher=The Inquirer | date=September 20, 2010 | access-date=January 27, 2012 | author=Suleman, Khidr | url-status=unfit | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112191330/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/1732281/sony-reader-touch-amazon-kindle-head-head | archive-date=January 12, 2012 }}</ref> | EPUB, PDF, TXT, RTF, DOC, BBeB |- | Kobo eReader and Kobo Arc<ref>{{cite web|last=Covert|first=Adrian|title=Kobo Touch E-Reader: You'll Want to Love It, But ...|url=https://gizmodo.com/5812387/kobo-touch-e+reader-youll-want-to-love-it-but|work=Gizmodo.com|date=June 16, 2011 |access-date=June 17, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617164527/http://gizmodo.com/5812387/kobo-touch-e+reader-youll-want-to-love-it-but|archive-date=June 17, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kobobooks.com/touch_tech|title=Kobo eReader Touch Specs|access-date=June 29, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720061540/http://kobobooks.com/touch_tech|archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> | EPUB, PDF, TXT, RTF, HTML, CBR (comic), CBZ (comic) |- |Android devices with Google Play Books preinstalled |EPUB, PDF |- | PocketBook Reader and PocketBook Touch<ref>{{cite web|last=Kozlowski|first=Michael|title=Hands on review of the Pocketbook PRO 902 9.7 inch e-Reader|url=http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/hands-on-review-of-the-pocketbook-pro-902-9-7-inch-e-reader|work=goodereader.com|date=January 3, 2011|access-date=January 3, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107000852/http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/hands-on-review-of-the-pocketbook-pro-902-9-7-inch-e-reader/|archive-date=January 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/products/pocketbook-touch|title=PocketBook Touch Specs|access-date=May 15, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510062102/http://www.pocketbook-int.com/us/products/pocketbook-touch|archive-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> | EPUB DRM, EPUB, PDF DRM, PDF, FB2, FB2.ZIP, TXT, DJVU, HTM, HTML, DOC, DOCX, RTF, CHM, TCR, PRC (MOBI) |} {{Notelist}}
===Digital rights management=== {{see also|Digital rights management#DRM and e-books}} Most e-book publishers do not warn their customers about the possible implications of the digital rights management tied to their products. Generally, they claim that digital rights management is meant to prevent illegal copying of the e-book. However, in many cases, it is also possible that digital rights management will result in the complete denial of access by the purchaser to the e-book.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pogue |first=David |url=http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/ |title=Case where Amazon remotely deleted titles from purchasers' devices |publisher=Pogue.blogs.nytimes.com |date=2009-07-17 |access-date=2011-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709143707/http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/ |archive-date=2011-07-09 }}</ref> The e-books sold by most major publishers and electronic retailers, which are Amazon.com, Google, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Inc. and Apple Inc., are DRM-protected and tied to the publisher's e-reader software or hardware. The first major publisher to omit DRM was Tor Books, one of the largest publishers of science fiction and fantasy, in 2012. Smaller e-book publishers such as O'Reilly Media, Carina Press and Baen Books had already forgone DRM previously.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tor/Forge Plans DRM-Free e-Books By July|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/51659-tor-forge-plans-drm-free-e-books-by-july.html|access-date=April 24, 2012|newspaper=Publishers Weekly|date=April 24, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425205757/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/51659-tor-forge-plans-drm-free-e-books-by-july.html|archive-date=April 25, 2012}}</ref>
==Production== {{See also|Book scanning}}
Some e-books are produced simultaneously with the production of a printed format, as described in electronic publishing, though in many instances they may not be put on sale until later. Often, e-books are produced from pre-existing hard-copy books, generally by document scanning, sometimes with the use of robotic book scanners, having the technology to quickly scan books without damaging the original print edition. Scanning a book produces a set of image files, which may additionally be converted into text format by an OCR program.<ref>{{Cite news |last=David |first=Rozehnal |date=2026-12-14 |title=đọc sách online |url=https://sachhayonline.com/ |access-date=2026-05-14 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Checking Out the Machines Behind Book Digitization |url=http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/publisher/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002035592 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102101852/http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/publisher/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002035592 |archive-date=2007-01-02 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=www.thebookstandard.com}}</ref> Occasionally, as in some projects, an e-book may be produced by re-entering the text from a keyboard. Sometimes only the electronic version of a book is produced by the publisher.{{example needed|date=May 2012}}
It is possible to release an e-book chapter by chapter as each chapter is written.{{example needed|date=May 2012}} This is useful in fields such as information technology where topics can change quickly in the months that it takes to write a typical book. It is also possible to convert an electronic book to a printed book by print on demand. However, these are exceptions as tradition dictates that a book be launched in the print format and later if the author wishes an electronic version is produced. ''The New York Times'' keeps a list of best-selling e-books, for both fiction<ref>{{cite news|title=Best Sellers. E-BOOK FICTION|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/e-book-fiction/list.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 25, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208141419/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/e-book-fiction/list.html|archive-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref> and non-fiction.<ref>{{cite news|title=Best Sellers. E-BOOK NONFICTION|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/e-book-nonfiction/list.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 25, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208141424/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/e-book-nonfiction/list.html|archive-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref>
==Reading data== All of the e-readers and reading apps are capable of tracking e-book reading data, and what the data could contain which e-books users open, how long the users spend reading each e-book and how much of each e-book is finished.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Futility of E-Book Completion Data for Trade Publishers {{!}} PUB802 |url=http://tkbr.ccsp.sfu.ca/pub802/2015/03/the-futility-of-e-book-completion-data-for-trade-publishers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320205645/http://tkbr.ccsp.sfu.ca/pub802/2015/03/the-futility-of-e-book-completion-data-for-trade-publishers/ |archive-date=2015-03-20 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=tkbr.ccsp.sfu.ca |language=en-US}}</ref>
In December 2014, Kobo released e-book reading data collected from over 21 million of its users worldwide. Some of the results were that only 44.4% of UK readers finished the bestselling e-book ''The Goldfinch'' and the 2014 top selling e-book in the UK, "One Cold Night", was finished by 69% of readers. This is evidence that while popular e-books are being completely read, some e-books are only sampled.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Flood |first=Alison |date=2014-12-10 |title=Ebooks can tell which novels you didn't finish |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/10/kobo-survey-books-readers-finish-donna-tartt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621180430/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/10/kobo-survey-books-readers-finish-donna-tartt |archive-date=2016-06-21 |access-date=2026-05-14 |work=the Guardian}}</ref>
==Comparison to printed books==
===Advantages=== [[Image:Bouquin électronique iLiad en plein soleil.jpg|thumb|iLiad e-book reader equipped with an e-paper display visible in sunlight]] In the space that a comparably sized physical book takes up, an e-reader can contain thousands of e-books, limited only by its memory capacity. Depending on the device, an e-book may be readable in low light or even total darkness. Many e-readers have a built-in light source, can enlarge or change fonts, use text-to-speech software to read the text aloud for visually impaired, elderly or dyslexic people or just for convenience.<ref>{{cite magazine | last1 = Harris | first1 = Christopher | year = 2009 | title = The Truth About Ebooks | magazine = School Library Journal | volume = 55 | issue = 6| page = 18 }}</ref> Additionally, e-readers allow readers to look up words or find more information about the topic immediately using an online dictionary.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Taipale | first1 = S | year = 2014 | title = The Affordances of Reading/Writing on Paper and Digitally in Finland | url = http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-201404251572 | journal = Telematics and Informatics | volume = 32 | issue = 4 | pages = 532–542 | doi = 10.1016/j.tele.2013.11.003 | access-date = December 5, 2019 | archive-date = January 14, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230114152036/https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/43411 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Fortunati | first1 = L. | last2 = Vincent | first2 = J. | year = 2014 | title = Sociological Insights into writing/reading on paper and writing/reading digitally | journal = Telematics and Informatics | volume = 31 | issue = 1| pages = 39–51 | doi = 10.1016/j.tele.2013.02.005 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Yates |first=Emma |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/19/ebooks |title=Ebooks: a beginner's guide |date=2001-12-19 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2017-05-26 |issn=0261-3077 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234241/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/19/ebooks |archive-date=2017-08-08}}</ref> Amazon reports that 85% of its e-book readers look up a word while reading.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are the most looked up words on the Kindle? |url=http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/what-are-the-most-looked-up-words-on-the-kindle |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019004105/http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/what-are-the-most-looked-up-words-on-the-kindle |archive-date=2015-10-19 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=goodereader.com |date=October 14, 2015 |language=en-US}}</ref>
A 2017 study found that even when accounting for the emissions created in manufacturing the e-reader device, substituting more than 4.7 print books a year resulted in less greenhouse gas emissions than print.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Amasawa|first1=Eri|last2=Ihara|first2=Tomohiko|last3=Hanaki|first3=Keisuke|date=2018-09-01|title=Role of e-reader adoption in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of book reading activities|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1417-5|journal=The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment|language=en|volume=23|issue=9|pages=1874–1887|doi=10.1007/s11367-017-1417-5|bibcode=2018IJLCA..23.1874A |s2cid=115588910|issn=1614-7502|access-date=September 21, 2021|archive-date=January 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114152038/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11367-017-1417-5|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> While an e-reader costs more than most individual books, e-books may have a lower cost than paper books.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Greenfield|first1=Jeremy|title=Tracking the Price of Ebooks: Average Price of Ebook Best-Sellers in a Two-Month Tailspin|url=http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/tracking-the-price-of-ebooks-average-price-of-ebook-best-sellers-on-a-two-month-tailspin/|website=Digital Book World|access-date=February 24, 2015|date=January 9, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224072500/http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/tracking-the-price-of-ebooks-average-price-of-ebook-best-sellers-on-a-two-month-tailspin/|archive-date=February 24, 2015}}</ref> E-books may be made available for less than the price of traditional books using on-demand book printers.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Finder|first1=Alan|title=The Joys and Hazards of Self-Publishing on the Web|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/technology/personaltech/ins-and-outs-of-publishing-your-book-via-the-web.html|access-date=February 24, 2015|agency=The New York Times|date=August 15, 2012|quote=Digital publishing and print on demand have significantly reduced the cost of producing a book.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224091823/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/technology/personaltech/ins-and-outs-of-publishing-your-book-via-the-web.html|archive-date=February 24, 2015}}</ref> Moreover, numerous e-books are available online free of charge on sites such as Project Gutenberg.<ref>{{cite web|title=Project Gutenberg|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/|website=Project Gutenberg|access-date=February 24, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912131250/http://www.gutenberg.org/|archive-date=September 12, 2015}}</ref> For example, all books printed before 1928 are in the public domain in the United States, which enables websites to host ebook versions of such titles for free.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States |url=http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226112433/http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm |archive-date=2015-02-26 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=copyright.cornell.edu}}</ref>
Depending on possible digital rights management, e-books (unlike physical books) can be backed up and recovered in the case of loss or damage to the device on which they are stored, a new copy can be downloaded without incurring an additional cost from the distributor. Readers can synchronize their reading location, highlights and bookmarks across several devices.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sync Across Kindle Devices & Apps|url=https://www.amazon.in/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200911660|website=Amazon.com|access-date=February 25, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225054527/http://www.amazon.in/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200911660|archive-date=February 25, 2015}}</ref>
===Disadvantages=== [[File:Urval av de bocker som har vunnit Nordiska radets litteraturpris under de 50 ar som priset funnits (2).jpg|thumb|The spine of the printed book is an important aspect in book design and is seen as part of its beauty as an object.]] There may be a lack of privacy for the user's e-book reading activities. For example, Amazon knows the user's identity, what the user is reading, whether the user has finished the book, what page the user is on, how long the user has spent on each page, and which passages the user may have highlighted.<ref name="The Fifty Shades of Grey Paradox">{{Cite news |title=Fifty Shades of Grey and the Paradox of E-Reader Privacy |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/02/fifty_shades_of_grey_and_the_paradox_of_e_reader_privacy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315051611/http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/02/fifty_shades_of_grey_and_the_paradox_of_e_reader_privacy.html |archive-date=2015-03-15 |access-date=2026-05-14 |work=Slate Magazine}}</ref> One obstacle to wide adoption of the e-book is that a large portion of people value the printed book as an object itself, including aspects such as the texture, smell, weight and appearance on the shelf.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Catone|first1=Josh|title=Why Printed Books Will Never Die|url=http://mashable.com/2013/01/16/e-books-vs-print/|website=Mashable|access-date=February 24, 2015|date=January 16, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224075119/http://mashable.com/2013/01/16/e-books-vs-print/|archive-date=February 24, 2015}}</ref> Print books are also considered valuable cultural items, and symbols of liberal education and the humanities.<ref name="Ballatore 1461444815586984">{{Cite journal|title = E-readers and the death of the book: Or, new media and the myth of the disappearing medium|journal = New Media & Society|volume = 18|issue = 10|date = 2015-05-18|issn = 1461-4448|pages = 2379–2394|doi = 10.1177/1461444815586984|first1 = Andrea|last1 = Ballatore|first2 = Simone|last2 = Natale| hdl=2318/1768949 |s2cid = 39026072|url = https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/14877/1/2015-Ballatore_Natale-Death_Book_.pdf|access-date = March 9, 2020|archive-date = July 30, 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200730213940/https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/14877/1/2015-Ballatore_Natale-Death_Book_.pdf|url-status = live}}</ref> Kobo found that 60% of e-books that are purchased from their e-book store are never opened and found that the more expensive the book is, the more likely the reader would at least open the e-book.<ref>{{Cite web |title=People are Not Reading the e-Books they Buy Anymore |url=http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/people-are-not-reading-the-e-books-they-buy-anymore |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022115355/http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/people-are-not-reading-the-e-books-they-buy-anymore |archive-date=2015-10-22 |access-date=2026-05-14 |website=goodereader.com |date=September 20, 2015 |language=en-US}}</ref>
Joe Queenan has written about the pros and cons of e-books: {{blockquote |Electronic books are ideal for people who value the information contained in them, or who have vision problems, or who like to read on the subway, or who do not want other people to see how they are amusing themselves, or who have storage and clutter issues, but they are useless for people who are engaged in an intense, lifelong love affair with books. Books that we can touch; books that we can smell; books that we can depend on.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Queenan|first1=Joe|title=One for the Books|date=2012|publisher=Viking Adult|isbn=9780670025824}}</ref> }}
Apart from all the emotional and habitual aspects, there are also some readability and usability issues that need to be addressed by publishers and software developers. Many e-book readers who complain about eyestrain, lack of overview and distractions could be helped if they could use a more suitable device or a more user-friendly reading application, but when they buy or borrow a DRM-protected e-book, they often have to read the book on the default device or application, even if it has insufficient functionality.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Caroline |first1=Myrberg |title=Why doesn't everyone love reading e-books? |journal=Insights |date=2017 |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=115–25 |doi=10.1629/uksg.386 |doi-access=free |hdl=10616/46134 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
While a paper book is vulnerable to various threats, including water damage, mold and theft, e-books files may be corrupted, deleted or otherwise lost as well as pirated. Where the ownership of a paper book is fairly straightforward (albeit subject to restrictions on renting or copying pages, depending on the book), the purchaser of an e-book's digital file has conditional access with the possible loss of access to the e-book due to digital rights management provisions, copyright issues, the provider's business failing or possibly if the user's credit card expired.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-buy-now-20161019-snap-story.html |title=Consumer deception? That 'Buy Now' button on Amazon or iTunes may not mean you own what you paid for |author=Michael Hiltzi |date=October 16, 2016 |newspaper=LA Times |access-date=May 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511210848/http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-buy-now-20161019-snap-story.html |archive-date=May 11, 2017 }}</ref>
==Market share==
===United States=== According to the Association of American Publishers 2018 annual report, ebooks accounted for 12.4% of the total trade revenue.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Industry Statistics|url=https://publishers.org/data-and-statistics/industry-statistics/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=AAP|date=November 20, 2019 |language=en-US|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416015915/https://publishers.org/data-and-statistics/industry-statistics/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Publishers of books in all formats made $22.6 billion in print form and $2.04 billion in e-books, according to the Association of American Publishers' annual report 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Physical books still outsell e-books — and here's why |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/physical-books-still-outsell-e-books-and-heres-why.html |access-date=2 January 2021 |publisher=CNBC |date=September 19, 2019 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102034014/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/physical-books-still-outsell-e-books-and-heres-why.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Canada=== {{bar box |width=300px |title=Market share of e-readers in Canada by Ipsos Reid as of January 2012<br /><ref name="barbour1"> {{cite web|last = Barbour|first = Mary Beth|url = http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5596|title = Latest Wave of Ipsos Study Reveals Mobile Device Brands Canadian Consumers are Considering in 2012|publisher = Ipsos Reid|date = 2012-04-19|access-date = 2012-06-04|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120523203016/http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=5596|archive-date = 2012-05-23}}</ref> |titlebar=#ddd|left1='''Sellers'''|right1='''Percent'''|bars= {{bar percent|Kobo|DarkCyan|46.0}} {{bar percent|Amazon|Orange|24.0}} {{bar percent|Sony|Red|18.0}} {{bar percent|Others|Pink|12.0}} }}
===Spain=== In 2013, Carrenho estimates that e-books would have a 15% market share in Spain in 2015.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rüdiger|first1=W.|last2=Carrenho|first2=C.|title=Global eBook: Current Conditions & Future Projections|date=2013|location=London|url=http://www.universoabierto.com/11532/mercado-mundial-del-libro-electronico-para-2013-y-previsiones-de-futuro/|access-date=February 24, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224073016/http://www.universoabierto.com/11532/mercado-mundial-del-libro-electronico-para-2013-y-previsiones-de-futuro/|archive-date=February 24, 2015}}</ref>
===UK=== According to Nielsen Book Research, e-book share went up from 20% to 33% between 2012 and 2014, but down to 29% in the first quarter of 2015. Amazon-published and self-published titles accounted for 17 million of those books (worth £58m) in 2014, representing 5% of the overall book market and 15% of the digital market. The volume and value sales, although similar to 2013, had seen a 70% increase since 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Campbell|first1=Lisa|title=E-book market share down slightly in 2015|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/e-book-market-share-down-slightly-2015|access-date=November 2, 2015|date=June 8, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016210829/http://www.thebookseller.com/news/e-book-market-share-down-slightly-2015|archive-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref>
===Germany=== The Wischenbart Report 2015 estimates the e-book market share to be 4.3%.<ref name="Wischenbart">{{cite book|last1=Wischenbart|first1=Rüdiger|title=Global E-book Report 2015|date=2015}}</ref>
===Brazil=== In 2013, around 2.5% of all trade titles sold were in digital format. This was a 400% growth over 2012 when only 0.5% of trade titles were digital. In 2014, the growth was slower, and Brazil had 3.5% of its trade titles being sold as e-books.<ref name="Wischenbart"/>
===China=== The Wischenbart Report 2015 estimates the e-book market share to be around 1%.<ref name="Wischenbart"/>
While the above 2015 report estimated the e-book market share in China at around 1%, more recent data provide updated figures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chinese readers show rising interest in digital books - People's Daily Online |url=https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0427/c90000-20308014.html#:~:text=In%20China,%20digital%20reading%20evolved,earlier,%20according%20to%20the%20report. |access-date=2026-03-03 |website=en.people.cn}}</ref> As of 2024, China had approximately 670 million digital reading users.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Number of China's digital reading users reaches 670 million in 2024 |url=https://english.www.gov.cn/archive/statistics/202504/23/content_WS68087cb6c6d0868f4e8f1ff7.html |access-date=2026-03-03 |website=english.www.gov.cn}}</ref>{{Independent source inline|date=March 2026}}
In addition to dedicated digital reading platforms, major e-commerce ecosystems such as those operated by Alibaba Group facilitate the retail and wholesale distribution of books, contributing to the integration of publishing into China’s broader digital commerce infrastructure <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kwak|first1=Jooyoung|last2=Zhang|first2=Yue|last3=Yu|first3=Jiang|date=February 2019|title=Legitimacy building and e-commerce platform development in China: The experience of Alibaba|journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change|volume=139|pages=115–124|doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2018.06.038|issn=0040-1625|pmc=7127782|pmid=32287407}}</ref>.
== Public domain books == {{Main|Public domain}}
Public domain books are those whose copyrights have expired, meaning they can be copied, edited, and sold freely without restrictions.<ref name="Boyle 2008 38">{{Cite book|last=Boyle|first=James|title=The Public Domain: Enclosing the Commons of the Mind|publisher=CSPD|year=2008|page=38|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fn1Pl9Gv_EMC&q=public+domain|isbn=978-0-300-13740-8|access-date=October 13, 2018|archive-date=February 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214065428/http://www.google.com/books?id=Fn1Pl9Gv_EMC&dq=public+domain&source=gbs_navlinks_s|url-status=live}}</ref> Many of these books can be downloaded for free from websites like the Internet Archive, in formats that many e-readers support, such as PDF, TXT, and EPUB. Books in other formats may be converted to an e-reader-compatible format using e-book writing software, for example Calibre.
==vBook== {{See also|Help:Wikitext|Electronic literature|Vlog|EPUB}} A vBook is an eBook that is digital first media with embedded video, images, graphs, tables, text, and other useful media.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vidyard.com/blog/vbook-video-book-replaces-ebook/ | title=A vBook (Video Book) is the New Alternative to an eBook | date=January 3, 2022 }}</ref>
==See also== {{div col|colwidth=30em}}<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦---> * {{anl|Accessible publishing}} * {{anl|Blook}} * {{anl|Braille e-book}} * {{anl|Braille translator}} * {{anl|Cell phone novel}} * {{anl|Digital library}} * List of digital library projects * {{anl|Networked book}} * {{anl|Perkins Brailler}} * TeX and LaTeX * {{anl|Web fiction}} {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} {{Refbegin|30em}} * James, Bradley (November 20, 2002). [https://web.archive.org/web/20050305095848/http://www.scinet.cc/articles/ebook/electronicbook.html The Electronic Book: Looking Beyond the Physical Codex], ''SciNet'' * Cory Doctorow (February 12, 2004). [http://craphound.com/ebooksneitherenorbooks.txt Ebooks: Neither E, Nor Books] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810004056/http://craphound.com/ebooksneitherenorbooks.txt |date=August 10, 2011 }}, ''O'Reilly Emerging Technologies Conference'' * Lynch, Clifford (May 28, 2001). [https://web.archive.org/web/20121024171251/http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/864/773 The Battle to Define the Future of the Book in the Digital World], ''First Monday – Peer reviewed journal''. * {{Citation | newspaper = Truth dig | url = http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090929_scanning_the_horizon_of_books_and_libraries/ | date = September 29, 2009 | title = Scanning the horizon of books & libraries – Google book settlement and online book rights | access-date = October 3, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130123190432/http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090929_scanning_the_horizon_of_books_and_libraries | archive-date = January 23, 2013 | url-status = dead }} * {{Citation | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122403326.html | title = E-Books Spark Battle Inside Publishing Industry | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = December 27, 2009 | access-date = August 26, 2017 | archive-date = September 20, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170920065035/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122403326.html | url-status = live }}. * Dene Grigar & Stuart Moulthrop (2013–2016) [http://dtc-wsuv.org/wp/pathfinders/description/ "Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603171349/http://dtc-wsuv.org/wp/pathfinders/description/ |date=June 3, 2016 }}, ''Washington State University Vancouver'', July 1, 2013. {{Refend}}
{{Ebooks}} {{E-book digital distribution platforms}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Ebooks Category:Book formats Category:Electronic paper technology Category:Electronic publishing Category:Fiction forms Category:New media Category:Web fiction