iPhone

Over at Techdirt, Michael Masnick has applauded Sony for supporting the open ePub format on its ebook reader. Masnick points out, and he’s right, that openness can be a competitive advantage, especially against an established competitor with a closed system, such as Amazon Kindle.

It always gives me a moment’s pause when tech or publishing commentators describe the dominance of the Kindle. It sure has enjoyed a lot of splashy media attention and web commentary, but I can’t help but be sceptical. For one thing, we just don’t have enough data on the number of Kindle units sold and the amount of content being purchased/downloaded for Kindle, especially not comparative data with other platforms. And secondly, for those of us who don’t live in the United States, the hype over the Kindle is hardly seductive when it is not available in our markets. Meanwhile, smartphones continue to multiply at astonishing rates.

But if we accept for the moment that the Kindle does have a leadership position in the ebook market, Masnick makes a compelling point. Competing manufacturers of ebook readers may be best served by strengthening and supporting an open platform. It could be the only way to provide an alternative offer to consumers that has sufficient value to lure them away from the leader.

But an open platform is only half the equation. For this to work, consumers also deserve access to open content. The ability and right to move their content between devices is a valuable benefit publishers can offer their customers. And without any additional investment, it opens publishers up to new markets that are created when manufacturers, software developers or online retailers create new applications and buying opportunities. This was elegantly demonstrated when Lexcycle launched Stanza for iPhone.

Not only is there a competitive advantage for publishers in supporting open formats, but there’s a business risk in not doing it. Publishers should be cautious of favouring Kindle or any closed format lest they find themselves locked in without any kind of negotiating position on terms of trade. Cory Doctorow already warned you of this months ago.

More publishers offering more content in open formats, and more manufacturers supporting open formats on their devices, makes for a virtuous cycle.

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