[accessibleimage] Industry Adopts eBook Standards

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.

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