Free Stuff and More

MCM, author of the fabulous anti-DRM kids’ book “The Pig and the Box,” sez,

Two years and a lot of learning later, I’m finally re-releasing my anti-DRM book “The Pig and the Box” in a snazzy Second Edition. The new version is more kid-friendly (at the suggestion of some teachers and librarians) as well as having a shinier cover. And even better, I finally figured out the whole “distribution” angle, so you can buy it practically anywhere in the world (even Japan!)

This is part of my “12 Books in 12 Months” project, where I’m launching a slate of Creative Commons-licensed titles throughout 2009. Next up is the third book in the SteamDuck series, and then the start of an “open source” action series called “TorrentBoy”.

Amazon has hundreds of free mp3s available for download, including tracks by Brian Eno & David Byrne, Ani Difranco, and Reverend Horton Heat. ( Via Kottke)

Last year, we wrote about Monty Python’s decision to put all its content online for free hoping that would drive people to buy more of its scarce goods — such as DVDs. And, as a bunch of you have submitted, it appears to have worked wonders. Monty Pyton’s DVD sales jumped an astounding 23,000% and are now the number 2 best selling item in the Movies & TV category on Amazon.com. Who was it that said “you can’t compete with free” again? (Via techdirt)

4. FREE FILMS ONLINE FROM THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA

The National Film Board of Canada is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2009 – and everyone’s invited.

To help mark the occasion, we’ve opened our vaults and put over 700 full-length films, trailers and clips online for free home viewing.

Our collection includes animation, documentaries, experimental films and alternative dramas. We showcase films that take a stand on issues of global importance that matter to Canadians – stories about the environment, human rights, international conflict, the arts and more. Works that push the boundaries, give a voice to the underrepresented, and build bridges between cultures. ( Link)

Visit http://nfb.ca/ to watch these films.

5. SCRIBD AND ZINIO OFFER FULL-LENGTH BOOKS IN A BROWSER

Two digital publishing sites have quietly started rolling out electronic books that can be viewed just using a web browser.

Random House is now offering several full length books for free on Scribd. The choices include The Surgeon, a 2002 novel by bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. What’s also significant here is that Gerritsen is making the book available as a DRM-free PDF download.

Meanwhile Zinio, a site that offers digital magazines and textbooks, is expanding into mass-market books. Zinio has opened a digital bookstore that features a handful of titles. These include technology tomes like Social Media Marketing in an Hour a Day. (Via Micro Persuasion)

Read the entire article here.

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