DJ Coffman started Twittering about it at first, but went on to blog about it:
1.1 EXPANSION OF GRANT OF RIGHTS. In addition to the grant of rights by Publisher under the Agreement, Publisher hereby grants and conveys to WOWIO the following rights in and to the Content:
The right to display page images derived from Content for free in a web browser with interactive display advertising (“PREVIEW”).
* BOOM. Right off the top you’re essentially giving them the right to use the content inside your ebooks as pretty much “webcomics” that they’ll monetize by selling advertising and boost their pageviews. They go on to say they’ll give you 20% of any advertising made, more on that in a bit…
...
Publisher shall have the option through the Publisher account interface to make Ebooks eligible for free distribution with embedded advertising when sponsors are available (“SPONSORSHIP OPTION”). If Publisher elects to activate the Sponsorship Option, Publisher hereby grants Company the right to distribute Ebooks for free with embedded advertising. The default setting for this option is “active”.
*”When” Sponsors are available? What happens when sponsors aren’t available? That seems really vague. Who’s going to be in charge of getting sponsors now? Platinum?!? UGH.
It would seem that Platinum infected WOWIO in record time. I think Rich Johnston had something about another site that was already doing international and paid a little less lucratively than the old Wowio terms. Given the vaguity and apparent move to featuring books as webcomics with only 20% of advertising going to the publishers (fucking 80% to the distributor????), I'm thinking that other company probably looks like the better option now.
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