[Dtb-talk] New EBook Standards Emerging

[David B Andrews]

Wide Industry Implementation Planned for IDPF's New Standards for
Digital 
Publications
from:
http://www.idpf.org/pressroom/pressreleases/idpfstandards06.htm 
New York, NY (June 20th, 2006) - Major software companies and
device 
manufacturers have announced plans to support new electronic book
standards 
developed within the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF).
The 
companies will support these standards in their next generation
software and 
devices, alleviating many of the previous file interoperability and

production issues affecting the eBook industry and its customers.

The standards are created by two groups within the International
Digital 
Publishing Forum (IDPF), the trade and standards organization for
the 
digital book industry.  The IDPF has previously developed the
already widely 
adopted Open eBook Publication Structure (OEBPS) standard.  The two
groups 
are the Unified OEBPS Container Format Working Group and the OEBPS
Working 
Group.

Garth Conboy, President of eBook Technologies, Inc, and co-Chair of
both 
working groups, commented, "This is a very exciting time for the
industry - 
vigorous standards setting and adoption efforts are under way, new

technologies, products and companies are entering the market, and
these 
factors as well as innovative marketing and searching will drive
increased 
digital content availability."

Emerging Digital Publication Standards

The Container Format working group is set to release a container
format to 
allow publishers to release only a single standard file into their
sales and 
distribution channels instead of the multiple proprietary files
that they 
currently produce.  The new ZIP-based proposed standard, OEBPS
Container 
Format (OCF), is an extension of the packaging format defined by
the 
OpenDocument OASIS Standard (ISO/IEC 26300).

 "Adobe has been very pleased with the rapid progress within IDPF
towards 
creating an open and neutral container format", said Bill McCoy, GM

ePublishing, Adobe Systems, Inc.  "An open packaging technology
clearly has 
applicability across multiple areas of our solutions, including
eReading 
systems, and we look forward to working with industry participants
to 
finalize this community-developed standard in the coming months".

The container format is expected to be submitted to the IDPF for
official 
approval in the next several weeks.  A draft specification is
publicly 
available at:

http://www.idpf.org/doc_library/informationaldocs/ocf10-20060612.pdf


In the second specification, the OEBPS Working Group is developing
the next 
generation of OEBPS to improve this XML-based standard as both a
production 
and a final delivery format for digital publications.  The effort
will focus 
on detailed control of content rendering, navigation and
accessibility, and 
alignment with other standards efforts.

Software & Device Implementation

At the IDPF Connected & Mobile 2006 conference in May, Adobe
Systems 
demonstrated a forthcoming thin-client application for
reading-centric 
secured content, codenamed "Twist", that will support OEBPS-based
and PDF 
content.  Also, eBook Technologies, Inc. featured an application
built on 
the OEBPS Container Format (OCF) at the conference.

Other reading application companies also voiced support for the
upcoming 
specifications:

"Mobipocket has been a great supporter of open standards in the
eBook world 
since the OEBPS creation.  We are excited about this new
initiative, which 
is the right way to go to make this market mainstream.  We plan to
fully 
support this new standard in our product line," said Thierry
Brethes, CEO & 
co-founder of Mobipocket.com, an Amazon.com company.

"OSoft intends to support the new OEBPS standards with the upcoming
release 
of dotReader," said Mark Carey, CEO of OSoft.com, an open source
document 
company. "The enhancements to the standards will improve
accessibility and 
be more publisher and consumer friendly. Of particular interest to

publishers is the standardization of a master e-book format which
will 
greatly improve document workflow and reduce e-book publishing
costs."

"Motricity's vision is to increase the adoption and consumption of
premium 
mobile data such as ebooks," said Elizabeth Mackey (Vice President
and 
General Manager of eReader/Motricity).  "We fully support open
standards and 
access as the cornerstones of IDPF's efforts as we believe it's
exemplary of 
the type of collaborative process that will build mainstream
awareness and 
further the independence and productivity of the mobile
lifestyle."

Hardware companies also voiced implementation plans.  iRex
Technologies' VP 
Marketing and Business Development Willem Endhoven stated, "iRex 
Technologies will support the development of these standards as it
will 
accelerate the momentum in electronic reading.  We believe that
consumers 
will benefit from a more harmonized, open system approach and
simplicity of 
use.  We expect to support the IDPF standards for use in the iLiad
e-reader 
in the future."

Cooperation with Other Information Technology Standards
Organizations

IDPF has begun working to formalize its cooperation and
collaboration with 
other organizations. While the needs of the digital publishing
industry may 
require specific technologies, IDPF policy is to build on broader 
information technology standards wherever possible.

IDPF has recently joined the OASIS international standards
consortium, and 
hopes that the IDPF OCF may be further advanced within OASIS as a
general 
file containment technology standard.

"We are happy to have the IDPF join our organization and pleased
that they 
plan to contribute proposed extensions to the OpenDocument OASIS
Standard 
for their Open Container Format," said James Bryce Clark, director
of 
standards development at OASIS.  "We are looking forward to working
with 
them on future standardization efforts."

IDPF is also cooperating closely with DAISY, which is a member of
the IDPF. 
The upcoming OEBPS revision is working to be aligned with
requirements of 
the DAISY-based NIMAS initiative for accessible K-12 textbooks.

"The disability community is looking forward to the day when
commercial 
eBooks are usable by persons with disabilities with their Assistive

Technologies," said George Kerscher, Secretary General of the DAISY

Consortium.

The combined standards efforts will result in a non-proprietary way
for 
publishers to deliver digital books through the distribution chain
to 
consumers, similar to the MP3 format for digital music.  No patent

encumbrances are expected of either new specification. 
Participation in the 
Working Groups is open to all IDPF members and documents published
by both 
groups are regularly posted on the IDPF website at www.idpf.org.

Additional Relevant Information

IDPF Specifications & Documents:
http://www.idpf.org/specs.htm 

Open Container Format (OCF) 0.94 Working Draft Specification:
http://www.idpf.org/doc_library/informationaldocs/ocf10-20060612.pdf


Open eBook Publication Structure Specification Version 1.2:
http://www.idpf.org/oebps/oebps1.2/index.htm 

Use Cases & Requirements for Next Version of the Open eBook
Publication 
Structure:
http://www.idpf.org/doc_library/informationaldocs/oebps_requirements.htm


IDPF Working Groups:
http://www.idpf.org/idpf_groups.htm 

IDPF meetings & teleconference schedule:
http://www.idpf.org/events.htm 

IDPF membership information:
http://www.idpf.org/membership.htm 

About the International Digital Publishing Forum

The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), formerly the
Open eBook 
Forum (OeBF), is the trade and standards association for the
digital 
publishing industry.  Further information about the organization
and 
industry, including membership information, can be obtained by
visiting 
www.idpf.org.


David Andrews
Chief Technology Officer
Minnesota State Services for the Blind
2200 University Ave. W., #240
St. Paul, MN  55114-1840
(651) 642-0513  Office
(612) 730-7931  Cell
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