Terms of Use
These terms explain what Speed Reader is, what it is not, and what you agree to when you use it. They are written in plain language. Please read them alongside the Privacy Policy.
What Speed Reader is
Speed Reader is a reading tool. It takes text you give it — a file you open, text you paste, or a web article you link to — and flashes it one word (or a few words) at a time to help you read faster. That is all it does.
It is a personal project built and maintained by Brookes & Watters, an individual in the United States. It is free, has no accounts, and has no connection to any bookstore, publisher, library, or e-reader company.
Your responsibility
Speed Reader and its creator are only a tool. They are not responsible for what you choose to open in it, or for any illegal activity.
You are responsible for the files, text, and web pages you load into the app. By using it you agree that:
- You will only open or paste content that you have the legal right to use, such as your own writing, documents you were given, public-domain works, DRM-free books you have bought or been licensed, and articles you are allowed to read.
- You will not use Speed Reader to copy, share, distribute, or get around the protections on content you do not have rights to.
- You are responsible for following the laws of your country and the license terms of anything you load, including terms from stores, publishers, and libraries.
- Content you open stays on your own device. Speed Reader does not scan, review, or approve what you load, and it does not host or share your files with anyone.
EPUB files: DRM-free only
Speed Reader can only open EPUB files that are DRM-free. Books bought or borrowed from most stores and libraries are protected with DRM and will not open here. Speed Reader cannot, and will not, remove or bypass that protection.
What is DRM?
DRM stands for digital rights management. It is a lock a bookstore or publisher puts on an ebook so that it can only be read by approved apps, on approved devices, by the account that bought or borrowed it. It is how a store enforces the license you agreed to when you bought the book, and it is how library loans expire on schedule.
How a normal EPUB works
An EPUB file is really a small package of web pages: a folder of text files, styles, and images, zipped together with a table of contents and a reading order. Because the text is just ordinary markup, any app can open a plain EPUB and pull the words out. That is what Speed Reader does with a DRM-free EPUB, entirely on your own device.
How a protected EPUB works
With DRM, the same package is built, but the chapter text inside is encrypted. It can only be unlocked with a key that is tied to your account and handed to an approved reading app. Without that key, the file is unreadable scrambled data, even though it has a .epub name.
You are most likely to run into protected books in these forms:
- .acsm files — not a book at all, but a small “ticket” that tells Adobe Digital Editions (or a compatible app) to download the real, Adobe-protected book. Many stores and most library lending services use this system.
- Kobo books — protected so they open in Kobo apps and Kobo e-readers.
- Kindle books — Amazon uses its own formats (such as AZW and KFX), not plain EPUB, and they open only in Kindle apps and devices.
- Apple Books — protected so they open only in Apple Books.
- Library loans (through apps such as Libby) — protected and set to expire.
If you try to open a protected book, Speed Reader will recognise the protection where it can, tell you the file is protected, and stop. It will not load it.
Where to find EPUBs that will work
- Public-domain libraries such as Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks, which offer free, DRM-free EPUBs.
- DRM-free stores and publishers. Some publishers and shops sell books with no DRM. Check the store page before you buy; it is usually stated.
- Your own documents. Writing you have exported to EPUB, or files you were given that are not protected.
- Other formats. A .txt, .pdf, or .docx file you have the right to use opens without any of these limits.
If you want to read a protected book in the app that came with it, the store's own reader is the place to do that. Speed Reader is not a substitute for it.
This is not a library or a licensed e-reader
Speed Reader is not a library, a bookstore, a lending service, or a licensed e-reader. Apps like Kobo, Kindle, Apple Books, Adobe Digital Editions, and Libby have licensing agreements with publishers and DRM providers that allow them to open protected books. Speed Reader has no such agreements and holds no such licenses.
It does not sell, lend, host, or distribute any books. The sample documents inside the app are short texts written for the app, and are the only reading material it provides.
No warranty and limit of liability
Speed Reader is provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind. It may contain errors, may display text incorrectly, and may stop working or change at any time. It is a reading aid and is not a guaranteed accurate copy of any document.
To the fullest extent the law allows, Brookes & Watters is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of the app, from content you open in it, or from any unlawful use of it by you or anyone else. Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have under the law that cannot be limited by agreement.
Your agreement to these terms
The first time you open Speed Reader, and again whenever these terms or the privacy policy are updated, the app asks you to read and agree to both before you can use it. If you decline, the app stays locked until you agree. Your agreement is recorded only on your own device, as the date of the version you agreed to and the time you agreed. It is never sent anywhere.
Changes to these terms
If these terms change, this page is updated, the date at the top changes with it, and the app asks you to agree again the next time you open it.
Contact
Questions or corrections about these terms are welcome. Reach Brookes & Watters at brookesbabble@gmail.com.
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