With so many formats showing up in the late 1990s for new reading
devices, the digital publishing industry felt the need to work on a
common format for ebooks. In September 1999, it released the first
version of the Open eBook (OeB) format, based on XML (eXtensible Markup
Language) and defined by the Open eBook Publication Structure (OeBPS).
The Open eBook Forum was then created in January 2000 to develop the
OeB format and OeBPS specifications. Since 2000, most ebook formats
have been derived from - or are compatible with - the OeB format, for
example the PRC format from Mobipocket or the LIT format from
Microsoft.
December 1999 > Britannica.com, the web version of the Encyclopedia
Britannica
Britannica.com was launched in December 1999, as the digital equivalent
of the 32 volumes of the 15th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The website was available for free - as a complement to the print and
CD-ROM versions (for sale) -, with a selection of articles from 70
magazines, a guide to the best websites, a selection of books, etc.,
all searchable through a single search engine. In September 2000, the
site was among the top 100 websites in the world. In July 2001, the
website, not free anymore, was available for a monthly or annual fee.
In 2009, Britannica.com opened its website to external contributors,
with registration required to write and edit articles.