What is the reason behind the need to use a proprietary e-book format instead of using the open source EPUB standard? It is for the simple reason that the proprietary format gives superior results, and it works better.īuilding one’s own trademarked format gives the e-book retailer not only with the control over reading device or the reading system but also provides control over the code which has been loaded into the reading system. These include Apple’s iBooks Author and Barnes & Noble’s proprietary format children’s books, just to name a few. Though Amazon is singled out for their proprietary e-book format, there are also other companies which have their own particular e-book formats. The Advantages of Proprietary E-Book Format MOBI formats include XHTML and JavaScript. It was acquired by Amazon, the internet giant, in 2005. This free software for e-book readers was initially launched by a French company, MobiPocket SA in March 2000. MOBI, actually MobiPocket, is a standard e-book format. This gave rise to the need of e-book standard formats in order to make the e-books compatible with specific device features. Large enterprises like Amazon jumped into the competition and came up with specialized devices for facilitating e-book reading. With the internet taking over the globe by storm, the switchover from printed to digital books is not at all surprising. You can read these e-books either within a computer, a mobile device with eBook reader app or even a standalone reader. An eBook is electronic or digital version of a printed book. Let us begin by understanding what an e-book is.

Convert to mobi