Converting From Microsoft Reader .LIT Files

Most folks familiar with e-books (electronic books) have heard of Microsoft's proprietary format, which it calls Microsoft Reader. Reader files have the .LIT filename extension, so they're sometimes referred to as LIT files.

Reader files have an interesting problem, one that Microsoft doesn't tell you about. When you buy an e-book in Reader format, that's it -- you cannot legally convert it to another format or use it on a device not authorized by Microsoft (at least not here in the US). Microsoft's Reader format is proprietary, closed, and one-way -- any electronic text converted to Reader format cannot be legally converted back into a plain text (or HTML or XML) document like the original.

So, if you want to read that Crichton novel you purchased in Reader format on, say, a Palm OS device or a Macintosh, you're screwed. Or, if you lose authentication on your Reader application, meaning that the e-book can't verify that you are you, you're also screwed. Or, if you want to loan the e-book to a friend, you can't. And the list of problems goes on and on.

Well, luckily, someone has produced Open Convert-.LIT, a utility to unconvert Microsoft Reader .LIT files from the packed form back into their original XML/HTML format. This means you can then pack them up into a different format and/or read them (in a browser) on just about any device you want.

Now, since using this tool may mean that one is in violation of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), I haven't tried it myself. However, if you reside outside the US, feel free to download and try out the app (it's hosted in the UK).

While I don't think this even begins to address the problems associated with poorly designed DRM solutions like Microsoft Reader and most other proprietary formats, it does solve one major problem -- losing the ability to enjoy content you've paid for when moving outside the realm of monopoly-approved computing. In the future, however, just don't bother buying ebooks in Reader .LIT formats -- use plain text, HTML, XML, Palm DOC, or some other open format and you'll likely sidestep most of these annoyances from the outset.