texts, permissioning what can be ordered where, and Overview by whom. Print locations can manage and re-prioritize The Espresso Book Machine (the “EBM”), a Time job queues based on demand. Customer-facing store- Magazine “Best Invention of 2007,” provides a revolu- fronts can easily add discovery and ordering of “print tionary direct-to-consumer distribution and print model it now” books. The network uses industry-standard for books. Described as “the ATM of books,” the EBM cryptography to provide secure communications, and Version 2.0 is a fully integrated patented book-making delivers fine-grained visibility as content travels through- machine that can automatically print, out the network. Content owners can see exactly where bind, and trim on demand at their content has been ordered point of sale perfect-bound and produced, and Espress- library-quality paperback books Net tracks every step of every with full-color covers (indistin- transaction, providing all data guishable from a book on a needed to apportion payments bookstore shelf) in minutes for to publisher/content owner, a production cost of a penny production costs, network fees, a page. The EBM’s software and so on. automatically tracks all jobs and provides for all payments Content to publisher/content owner. The EBM makes it possible to On Demand Books has a distribute virtually every book strategic alliance with Lightning ever published, in any language, Source™ Inc. (“LSI”). LSI, a anywhere on earth, as easily, subsidiary of the Ingram Book quickly, and cheaply as e-mail. Group (the world’s largest wholesale distributor of books), is the industry’s premier POD distributor of books. Its Operation digital database includes over one million titles from Designed to operate in a variety of environments, the over 8,000 publishers. ODB has the use of LSI’s digi- EBM requires minimal human intervention and only tal conversion facilities and the right to print LSI’s vast occasional maintenance, such as refilling paper trays, library of titles, pending publisher approval. In Septem- replacing toner cartridges, emptying the trim-paper ber 2009, ODB and Google signed an agreement giving receptacle, and clearing paper jams. An onboard EBMs immediate access to over two million public- computer controls the EBM’s operation and provides domain Google Books. These books are available on a simple user interface for controlling print jobs and the EBM via EspressNet. In addition, the EBM has managing content. access to more than one million public-domain books through the Open Content Alliance and titles from other EspressNetSM repositories. Content is expected to increase substan- tially as more EBMs are adopted by bookstores, Through EspressNet, the EBM’s custom software, the libraries, and other venues around the globe. EBM is connected to a vast network of content, both in copyright and out. Content owners can manage their How Does The Espresso Book Machine Work? EBM 2.0 Details The EBM makes a perfect-bound paperback book virtually identical to the Books: publisher’s original in a matter of minutes. The EBM is fully automated, • Binding: Perfect-bound and performs the following actions with minimal human intervention: books, indistinguishable from their factory-made The user chooses a digital file via the EspressNet software system, either at the physical versions. EBM, or remotely via the Internet (users can also bring their own files in person: on CD’s, • Page-Count: 40 to 830 flash drives, etc.). The EBM uses PDF files for the book block and the cover. pages. A high-speed Xerox 4112™ Copier/Printer prints the pages of the book – the book block. • Trim Size: Infinitely The printer uses standard US letter-size (8.5” x 11”) or A4 paper stock. variable between 4.5” x 5.0” to 8.25” x 10.5” (11.4 x 14.0 to 21.0 x 26.7 cm). As pages are printed they are collected in the accumulator to ensure proper alignment. • Speed: A 300-page book in less than 4 minutes Simultaneously, a color inkjet printer produces a full-color image on tabloid (11” x 17”) or A3 (serially, less than 3 cover stock that is used to form the book cover. The printed cover travels downward from minutes). the printer to the binding table where it waits for the book block. • File format: Standard PDF for book block and cover. Once the book block is complete, it is positioned vertically by the accumulator and trans- ferred, in constant positive retention, to a clamp. The clamp enables the book block • Books can be down- to travel vertically. loaded from the web or in person from CD’s, The clamp holds the book block while the bottom edge is milled to roughen the edges in flashdrives, etc. preparation for glue application. Consumables: Immediately afterwards, a rotating wheel applies a thin layer of heat-activated glue over the • Standard US letter-size or milled edge. A4 paper. The clamp then moves the book block down to the cover, which waits on the binding table. • Tabloid or A3 cover stock. The EBM uses special pneumatics and clamps to press the cover against the spine and • Toner, ink, glue. around the book block. This produces a traditional “perfect-bound” book. Core Unit The binding table opens and the clamp passes through and transfers the bound book to a Specifications: robot at the shearing station. In the final steps of the process, the robot rotates the bound pages while a single carbide blade trims the edges into a book infinitely variable between • Dimensions: 3.8 feet 4.5” x 5.0” to 8.25” x 10.5” (11.4 x 14.0 to 21.0 x 26.7 cm). wide, 2.7 feet deep, 4.5 feet high. The completed library-quality paperback book is presented spine first by the EBM – still • Weight: 800 pounds. warm – ready to read. As we say, “Hot off the press!” EBM Electrical: EBM Patents • 240v 1ph at 30 amps. 7,014,182 Unified Process 6,443,682 Bind and Trim Perfect Bound • Box with disconnect. 6,986,630 Laminated Cover 6,193,458 System of Binding & Trimming • UL certified stock. 6,928,914 Book Trimming Method 6,142,721 Binding Apparatus & Method FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS EspressNet Software What is EspressNet? How many titles are available through The Espresso Book Machine® (the “EBM”) is essentially EspressNet? an ATM for books. Using digital files, it automatically EspressNet connects EBMs to a vast network of prints, binds, and trims, on demand at point of sale, discrete digital repositories, enabling instant distribu- perfect-bound, tion of over 3,000,000 titles: trade, public-domain, library-quality academic, foreign-language, self-published, and other paperback books content. Some specific examples include: with full-color cov- ers. These books • Publisher clients of Lightning Source, Inc.™ (the are indistinguish- POD subsidiary of the Ingram Book Group), able from other including Hachette, McGraw-Hill, Simon & books found in Schuster, WW Norton, Macmillan, John Wiley, a bookstore or and others; library. • Google Books (public-domain titles); • Open Content Alliance; EspressNet is the • Numerous major publishers, content aggregators, proprietary soft- and foreign-language content, representing ware system that additional titles, journals, and other material. connects the EBM to a vast network What precautions are used by Espress- of content as well Net to ensure my content is protected? as to other EBMs. EspressNet uses industry-standard cryptography to It enables books provide secure communications, and delivers fine- to be ordered and printed onsite at the EBM, and can grained visibility as content travels throughout the net- also be integrated with a retail/library website so that work. All transmissions between a source of digital files consumers can order books remotely via the Internet. (a “repository”) and an EBM are encrypted at the base EspressNet tracks sales, provides for all payments to level with a standard and strong PKI-based encryption. publisher/content owner, and uses industry-standard Furthermore, EspressNet utilizes the highest-level file encryption methods (as detailed below) to keep con- wiping algorithms to ensure absolute un-recoverability tent safe. from hard-disk drives. Both EspressNet and the EBM are the creation of On Demand Books, LLC (“ODB”). FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS EspressNet Software What precautions are used by Espress- Who manages my content Net to ensure publisher/content owner repository? payments are properly attributed? You can, or if you’d prefer, you may wish to “push” All ordering and financial transactions employ digital your files for hosting on either ODB’s servers or the signatures from all involved parties. This is intended not servers of ODB’s partner company, Lightning Source. only (1) to guard against piracy but also (2) to provide for mathematically ironclad certification of orders and How do users select an item? Can they payments(i.e., non-repudiation). Revenues for books also do it remotely, from their own sold are collected at point of sale, and payments to computer? publishers/content owners are later remitted. Users can access the EspressNet catalogue of titles I’m a publisher and my files are with and order a book onsite or remotely, via the Internet. Book files can also be printed in person from CDs, Lightning Source; what will my flashdrives, etc. compensation payments look like? For publishers in the LSI network, compensation will be How does the payment part work? How identical to their current compensation model with LSI. can I integrate with my POS system? Catalogue items have unique identifiers that can be How do I monitor when and where my used to map to retailer-specific SKUs just like any other files are printed? supply-chain item.