Apparently many libraries, including the ones in my country, are moving over to a system where you’re not allowed to digitally download the epub file anymore. You’re only allowed to borrow the book, and read it, in a closed ecosystem: an app. This per definition then excludes the majority of e-ink readers that don’t run Android. This is due to Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (Text with EEA relevance) (source) entering into force June 28 this year.

As the Adobe DRM solution hasn’t been updated for years, it isn’t capable of fulfilling all the requirements that this law lays out without endangering the DRM solution. Text-to-speech is one function that isn’t fully supported by Adobe for example. This means that there are apparently two directions to go for full compliance, Readium DRM which is barely supported as well or a closed app ecosystem.

This is frustrating on so many levels, especially if I would like to borrow an ebook in my native language that isn’t available elsewhere on the web, which is often the situation for books in my language (and I’m guessing most languages outside of English). The alternatives left is borrowing a physical copy, or buying it.

The enshittification of everything continues…

Or am I the only one remembering this opinion? I felt like it was common for people to say that the internet couldn’t be taken down, or censored or whatever. This has obviously been proven false with the Great Firewall of China, and of Russia’s latest attempts of completely disconnecting from the global internet. Where did this idea come from?