Sunday, September 23, 2012

Espresso Book Machine


A weekend trip to Santa Cruz uncovered a neat bit of intellectual property-related technology:
The patented Espresso Book Machine® (EBM) makes a paperback book in minutes, at point of need. Through its EspressNet® digital catalog of content, books can be ordered online or onsite at bookstores, libraries, and non-bookstore retailers. Over seven million in-copyright and public-domain titles are available on the network. The technology is also ideal for self and custom publishing.
So if you wander into a bookstore (in this case Bookshop Santa Cruz) and the book you want isn't available but it has either a) entered the public domain (i.e. the author passed away 50+ years ago) or b) the book shop has a license to the material, then a few simple clicks, 15 minutes, and a reasonable fee gets you a professional-looking paperback edition of your desired title.

For authors, Espresso Book Machine allows you to self-publish, print, and make available to potential consumers.

What a great idea. Espresso Book Machines are environmentally friendly, increases access to creative works, and supports independent publishing.

There's apparently one in Toronto, at the University of Toronto bookstore as well as all over the United States and the world.

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