EPUB is an
e-book file format with the
extension .epub
which can be downloaded and read on devices like smartphones, tablets, computers, or
e-readers. It is a
free and
open standard published by the
International Digital Publishing Forum. The term is short for
electronic publication and is sometimes styled
ePub. EPUB became an official standard of the IDPF in September 2007, superseding the older Open eBook standard. The
Book Industry Study Group endorses EPUB 3 as the format of choice for packaging content and has stated that the global book publishing industry should rally around a single standard. EPUB is the most widely supported vendor-independent XML-based (as opposed to PDF) e-book format; that is, it is supported by the largest number of hardware readers, including Amazon Kindle Fire.