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eBook Technologies Founders to Co-Chair Unified Content Container Working Group
 
Industry Pioneers Lead Efforts to Develop Electronic Content Delivery Standards

LA JOLLA, CA - February 14, 2006 - Market and technology advances continue to drive the eBook industry forward and the founders of eBook Technologies, Inc. are working within the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) at the forefront of efforts to develop digital publishing standards that benefit content publishers, developers of reading systems and consumers. The IDPF (www.idpf.org), formerly the Open eBook Forum (OeBF), is the trade and standards association for the digital publishing industry.

eBook Technologies, Inc., (ETI) the leading supplier of intelligent reading solutions, announced that founders Garth Conboy and John Rivlin will co-chair the Unified Content Container working group within the IDPF. Supporters and working group members include representatives from WGBH, Time Warner Book Group, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, eReader.com and Adobe Systems, Inc.

ETI also announced that Garth Conboy was elected by the membership of the International Digital Publishing Forum to serve on its Board of Directors.

"John and Garth have been active in electronic content delivery space from the beginning and have actively contributed in driving vendor cooperation in the creation of open standards for digital publishing," said Nick Bogaty, IPDF Executive Director. "Their position as co-chairs of this working group reflects both on the outstanding work they have done on OEBPS and their personal commitment to driving standards that benefit technology vendors, content creators and consumer alike. We are proud that they will provide leadership to the Unified Content Container Working Group which is an integral part of the ongoing work of the IPDF."

Today, publishers and other creators of eBook content need to generate multiple eBook formats when providing content to multiple eBook platforms or through multiple channels (e.g., MS Reader, eReader.com, MobiPocket, ETI). Purveyors of content need to produce multiple distinct eBooks for each piece of content, which constrains content flow to eBook platforms due to time and expense. Sparse content choices drive down consumer interest. Content-consumers receive/purchase platform-specific eBooks, which limits their ability to move the content from one Reading System to another, negatively impacting consumer perception due to lack of malleability and fear of platform death.

In their new role, Mr. Conboy and Mr. Rivlin will lead efforts to develop a unified (across Reading Systems) Open eBook Publication Structure (OEBPS) container format. A unified OEBPS container format standard will enable content creators to produce a single format for entry into the distribution and/or sales channels.

"A container format standard will boost eBook market momentum and be much more appealing to both content creators and consumers," said John Rivlin, eBook Technologies CEO and co-Chair of the Unified OEBPS Container Format Working Group. "The key is to develop a simple format that can easily be manipulated using existing tools and be transferred between publishers, eBook technology companies, and consumers in a standardized single file format."

About eBook Technologies. Inc.

ETI is driving the eBook industry forward by designing, developing, and promoting advanced electronic content distribution and reading technology. ETI technology includes reading devices, content creation tools, content distribution and management technology, electronic bookstore and eCommerce implementations. Garth Conboy, president and founder of eBook Technologies, serves on the IDPF Board of Directors.

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