Random House v. Rosetta Books, LLC
150 F. Supp. 2d 613 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) - full text opinion
eBooks are a relatively new form of book publishing. There are a wide variety of ebook formats, including plain text (.txt), HTML, .pdf and rich text files. These files can be read on any computer and most PDAs. However, there are also dedicated ebook readers such as the Cybook and the eBookman.
The future of ebooks was not always certain. Several ebook manufacturers have closed and major retailers like Barnes & Noble have stopped selling them (although Amazon still does). Stephen King tried releasing a new work entitled The Plant as an eBook, but he stopped after most downloaders never paid for their copies.
However, the future looks brighter for ebooks. Many works in the public domain are available for download at no cost. Furthermore, advances in electronic ink may one day allow electronic displays to be as small and flexible as newspaper. In fact, the first ebook reader utilizing e-ink has been released in Japan (pictured to the left).
If you're interested in more background about the case itself, Rosetta Books has a page with all the filings and opinions from both the district and circuit court cases.