From the press room · For readers
A book you keep: why nothing here can reach into your copy
Readers have had bought books deleted from their devices and the download option removed. A sealed edition is a file on your license page, in a published format, and no server can take it back.
ZI² Books · 2026-09-29 · updated 2026-10-09
In short: Every sealed edition you buy on ZI² Books is a file you can download from your license page, in a format documented at /format, with the unlock phrase available to you. The site cannot delete it from your device, and the reader runs in any browser without an account.
In 2009 a store reached into its own devices and deleted two novels that buyers had already paid for. In 2025 another option that let readers download a purchased book to a computer for safekeeping was removed. Each time, the terms of service said the buyer had bought a license, and each time the buyer had thought they bought a book.
We think the second view is the right one, so the product is built around it.
What you hold
Your license page is yours from the moment payment clears. It carries the reader, the download of the sealed file, and the unlock phrase behind a reveal. The file format is published, so a program you write in twenty years can open it as well as our reader does today.
What we cannot do
The site has no agent on your device. It cannot delete a downloaded file, revoke a phrase you already hold, or change the text of a copy you have. A refund stops the site serving new copies, which is the extent of its reach.
What we do instead of locks
Each sold copy is sealed for its buyer and carries the license inside the book, with an invisible mark in the text. That protects the press from a leak without putting a lock between you and your book.
Questions
Do I need the site to read?
No. The browser reader is served here for convenience; the file and the phrase are enough anywhere.
What if I lose the link?
The library page sends a signed link to every license on your email. Signing in keeps them on the account.
Can I read on more than one device?
Yes, and your place, preferences, bookmarks and notes follow the license between them.