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Get Free Copyrighted eBooks in PDF Format at Wowio
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 2:00 AM on March 30, 2008
Want a free ebook copy of a Kurt Vonnegut novel? Free ebook site Wowio has five of them, along with lots of other copyrighted fiction, literature, comics, and other works. The site offers the wares through sponsorships, and only limits your downloads to three books per day, 30 per month. The two caveats are a somewhat limited selection (as you might expect) and that the site's U.S.-only due to licensing restrictions. Otherwise, it's not a bad place to check for fresh content for your PDA, cell phone or computer screen. For more free page-turners, try the top ten sites for free books and the 100 best free Project Gutenberg books.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
old_devil
Posted March 30, 2008 6:26 PM
As long as "licensing agreements" and copyright laws work to prevent the free flow of intellectual effort, P2P networks will thrive - and rightly so. I don't care if these people loose money, they deserve to. You can't stop the signal.
mad_hatter_md01
Posted 2:54 AM 30/3/08
Its not a bad site, but they didnt have what I was looking for. I just happened to catch Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic and I wanted to read it. They dont have that, or the book series, The Dark is Rising.
mad_hatter_md01
Leafy
Posted 3:46 AM 30/3/08
Only US? Sorry, just passing through..
Leafy
xxdesmus
Posted 3:44 AM 30/3/08
Pretty cool stuff. Granted, I never understood reading e-books on anything smaller than a laptop/kindle, but maybe that's just me.
xxdesmus
math_boy
Posted 3:27 AM 30/3/08
I was going to download a book just to see how good it was. I couldn't find any good books, so I was going to download a random one. Of course, I had to sign up for an account. I was going to sign up with my email address. THEY WOULDN'T LET ME SIGN UP WITH A GMAIL ADDRESS. I didn't have a scanner, so I couldn't scan any type of i.d., and I don't have a credit card.
I guess there are other free e-book sites, but I wasn't too happy with this one.
math_boy
limitedmage
Posted 3:25 AM 30/3/08
Only available if you are in the US. How lame.
limitedmage
Myles
Posted 4:16 AM 30/3/08
Why on earth should you have to identify yourself to download an ebook?
And I am not generally worried about my "privacy" in a trivial way. But I just don't see why they need to "verify" who I am.
That and I'm Canadian :P
Myles
Mythokia
Posted 4:51 AM 30/3/08
Another one of those US-only services *sigh*.
Mythokia
deverbative
Posted 6:14 AM 30/3/08
I wonder if their source is netlibrary because the book selection is quite similar.
deverbative
deverbative
Posted 6:24 AM 30/3/08
those of you having trouble signing up should use fake name generator and 10 minute mail. That's what I do when I do not want my real identity out there. Lifehacker has covered that a few times.
deverbative
aphexbr
Posted 8:42 AM 30/3/08
I have to wonder how much money these kinds of sites lose out on due to regional restrictions. Over the last few years, I've wanted to try out Amazon MP3 downloads, Peerflix, Pandora, Gametap Gold and countless other sites but keep getting the "we don't believe there's a world outside the US, go away" treatment.
I know it's not strictly their fault due to licensing agreements. However, I do wonder how much money these services lose each year because they can't recognise the fact that there are no international borders on the net.
Oh well, off to find a competitor or alternative "free" supplier...
By the way, interesting screenshot considering both H.G. Wells and Bronte's novels are public domain properties available anywhere.
aphexbr
brokejumper
Posted 10:06 AM 30/3/08
Anyone else having problems getting signed up? I can't seem to get their system to send me the confirmation email.
brokejumper
magnoliasouth
Posted 10:42 AM 30/3/08
They can kiss my happy behind. They won't accept gmail, hotmail and yahoo mail? I am SO not going to give them any further information. Even Amazon.com takes my gmail and who are they to be above Amazon?! Screw 'em.
magnoliasouth
SamVed
Posted 5:24 PM 30/3/08
Those idiots don't accept my gmail address. Kevin, are you trying to make fun of us??
SamVed
LeeLowe
Posted 8:12 PM 30/3/08
Feedbooks is excellent. Here's the link:
[www.feedbooks.com]
I've got my YA fantasy novel MORTAL GHOST listed there, and you can even download it for the Kindle.
Lee
LeeLowe
Michael_Pastore
Posted 12:18 AM 31/3/08
A message to the Wowio CEOs and staff:
I have searched your website, but I can't find a page that shows your non-anonymous email addresses, your driver's licenses, or your credit card numbers. Don't worry: this information will be used for identification purposes only.
When you provide this information, then I might consider ignoring my concerns about privacy and identity theft, and signing up for Wowio.
Michael_Pastore
nandayo
Posted 1:23 AM 31/3/08
@SamVed:
I guess this will happen more and more often because more and more spammers are using gmail.
So just a matter of time until Gmail is blocked by many sites just as HoTMaiL, Yahoo and all the other free mail accounts...
nandayo
pjkwik
Posted 12:37 PM 31/3/08
try your local public library. most offer ebooks. good selection, usually no wait, and you support an important public institution. the ebooks we offer in troy, mi can be downloaded to personal devices or burned into CDs. can't beat the price or ease.
pjkwik
Kin
Posted 1:44 AM 1/4/08
Oh, GMAIL, HOTMAIL, AND YAHOO ARE NOT "BLOCKED"
It clearly stated when I signed up that they don't except anonymous emails. And those, as far as I am aware, are. Anyone can sign up for them.
Kin
Kin
Posted 1:43 AM 1/4/08
I've enjoyed Wowio. Lots of you are giving it crap for identification. Just use a work email. Or student email, like me. It's what I'd demand as an advertiser because I want the books I'm paying for to go somewhere.
And the nice thing is the advertisement is just the first two pages. Click click, then read.
Kin