E-books: Histories, trajectories, futures

Authors

  • Michael M. Widdersheim University of Pittsburgh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v20i6.5641

Keywords:

e-books, computing, Internet, copyright, digital rights management, surveillance

Abstract

This essay traces the historical trajectory of e-books in the U.S. and imagines their possible futures. Legal, economic, and technical developments that led to contemporary e-books reveal a tension between commercial and non-commercial programming. Commercial e-book designs control end uses, reduce production and distribution costs, stimulate consumption, and monitor user behaviors; however, alternative producers and users on the periphery continue to challenge these centralizing tendencies.

Author Biography

Michael M. Widdersheim, University of Pittsburgh

PhD student, School of Information Sciences

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Published

2015-05-22

How to Cite

Widdersheim, M. M. (2015). E-books: Histories, trajectories, futures. First Monday, 20(6). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v20i6.5641