Scribd

File:Scribd logo.svg

Scribd began as a site to host and share documents. While at Harvard, Trip Adler was inspired to start Scribd after learning about the lengthy process required to publish academic papers.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.inc.com/jill-krasny/35-under-35-scribd-is-the-library-of-the-future.html |title=Scribd: The Library of the Future? |first=Jill |last=Krasny |magazine=Inc. |date=June 24, 2014 }} His father, a doctor at Stanford, was told it would take 18 months to have his medical research published. Adler wanted to create a simple way to publish and share written content online.{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/ss/10/04/0419_best_young_tech_entrepreneurs/2.htm |title=Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs 2010 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306230421/http://www.bloomberg.com/ss/10/04/0419_best_young_tech_entrepreneurs/2.htm |url-status=live }} He co-founded Scribd with Jared Friedman and attended the inaugural class of Y Combinator in the summer of 2006.{{cite news |url=http://y-combinator.silk.co/page/Scribd |title=Scribd |publisher=Y Combinator |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807075309/http://y-combinator.silk.co/page/Scribd |url-status=live }} There, Scribd received its initial $120,000 in seed funding and then launched in a San Francisco apartment in March 2007.{{cite news |date=December 10, 2014 |title=Scribd | Interview with its Co-Founder & CEO – Trip Adler |url=http://www.cleverism.com/scribd-interview-co-founder-ceo-trip-adler/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627082420/https://www.cleverism.com/scribd-interview-co-founder-ceo-trip-adler/ |archive-date=June 27, 2019 |access-date=December 27, 2015 |publisher=Cleverism}}

Scribd was called "the YouTube for documents", allowing anyone to self-publish on the site using its document reader. The document reader turns PDFs, Word documents, and PowerPoints into Web documents that can be shared on any website that allows embeds.{{cite news |url = http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2009/10/07/from-the-desk-of-your-news-outlet-and-scribd/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091010034707/http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2009/10/07/from-the-desk-of-your-news-outlet-and-scribd/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = October 10, 2009 |title = From the desk of [your news outlet] and Scribd |first = Robert |last = MacMillan |work = Reuters |date = October 7, 2009 |access-date = September 3, 2017 }} In its first year, Scribd grew rapidly to 23.5 million visitors as of November 2008.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/12/31/scribd-had-a-blowout-year-and-so-did-the-web-document/ |title=Scribd Had A Blowout Year, And So Did the Web Document |first=Erick |last=Schonfeld |work=TechCrunch |date=December 31, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807034553/https://techcrunch.com/2008/12/31/scribd-had-a-blowout-year-and-so-did-the-web-document/ |url-status=live }} It also ranked as one of the top 20 social media sites according to Comscore.

In June 2009, Scribd launched the Scribd Store, enabling writers to easily upload and sell digital copies of their work online.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/technology/start-ups/18download.html |title=Site Lets Writers Sell Digital Copies |first=Brad |last=Stone |date=May 17, 2009 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907200435/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/technology/start-ups/18download.html?_r=1 |url-status=live }} That same month, the site partnered with Simon & Schuster to sell e-books on Scribd.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/technology/internet/12books.html |title=Simon & Schuster to Sell Digital Books on Scribd.com |first=Brad |last=Stone |date=July 11, 2009 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109043228/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/technology/internet/12books.html |url-status=live }} The deal made digital editions of 5,000 titles available for purchase on Scribd, including books from bestselling authors like Stephen King, Dan Brown, and Mary Higgins Clark.{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DEEDC123FF931A25755C0A96F9C8B63 |title=Simon & Schuster to Sell Digital Books on Scribd.com |first=Brad |last=Stone |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 12, 2009 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=September 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930155607/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/technology/internet/12books.html |url-status=live }}

In October 2009, Scribd launched its branded reader for media companies including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, and MediaBistro. ProQuest began publishing dissertations and theses on Scribd in December 2009.{{cite news |url=http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/scribd-to-publish-dissertations-and-theses/ |title=Scribd to publish dissertations and theses |publisher=TeleRead |date=November 17, 2009 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714140347/http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/scribd-to-publish-dissertations-and-theses/ |url-status=live }} In August 2010, many notable documents hosted on Scribd became viral phenomenons, including the California Proposition 8 ruling, which received over 100,000 views in about 24 minutes, and HP's lawsuit against Mark Hurd's move to Oracle.{{cite news |url=https://laist.com/news/pdf-of-prop-8-decision-goes-viral-i |title=PDF of Prop 8 Decision Goes Viral in 24 Minutes | first=

Andy | last=Sternberg | work=KPCC | date=August 4, 2010}}{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/07/mark-hurd-oracle-hp/ |title=HP Confirms It Is Suing Mark Hurd For Potential Leakage Of Trade Secrets To Oracle |first=M.G. |last=Siegler |work=TechCrunch |date=September 7, 2010 |access-date=June 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808192048/https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/07/mark-hurd-oracle-hp/ |url-status=live }}

File:Scribd Books.jpg

In October 2013, Scribd officially launched its unlimited subscription service for e-books. This gave users unlimited access to Scribd's library of digital books for a flat monthly fee. The company also announced a partnership with HarperCollins which made the entire backlist of HarperCollins' catalog available on the subscription service.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/business/media/harpercollins-pursues-e-book-subscription-service-with-scribd.html?_r=4& |title=HarperCollins Joins Scribd in E-Book Subscription Plan |first=Julie |last=Bosman |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 1, 2013 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726041147/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/business/media/harpercollins-pursues-e-book-subscription-service-with-scribd.html?_r=4 |url-status=live }}

According to Chantal Restivo-Alessi, chief digital officer at HarperCollins, this marked the first time that the publisher has released such a large portion of its catalog.{{cite web|title=With HarperCollins Deal, Scribd Unveils Its Bid To Become The Netflix For Books|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/01/scribd-harpercollins-book-subscriptions/?ncid=tcdaily|work=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL Inc|access-date=October 1, 2013|first=Anthony|last=Ha|date=October 1, 2013|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801115419/https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/01/scribd-harpercollins-book-subscriptions/?ncid=tcdaily|url-status=live}}

In March 2014, Scribd announced a deal with Lonely Planet, offering the travel publisher's entire library on its subscription service.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/03/26/scribd-lonely-planet/ |title=Scribd's Subscription E-Book Service Moves Into Travel With The Full Lonely Planet Library |first=Anthony |last=Ha |publisher=Techcrunch |date=March 26, 2014 |access-date=June 25, 2017 |archive-date=November 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130073636/https://techcrunch.com/2014/03/26/scribd-lonely-planet/ |url-status=live }}

In May 2014, Scribd further increased its subscription offering with 10,000 titles from Simon & Schuster.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/simon-schuster-e-book-services-strike-deal-1400639243 |title=Simon & Schuster, E-Book Services Strike Deal |first=Jeffrey A. |last=Trachtenberg |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=March 21, 2014 |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806232110/https://www.wsj.com/articles/simon-schuster-e-book-services-strike-deal-1400639243 |url-status=live }} These titles included works from authors such as: Ray Bradbury, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ernest Hemingway, Walter Isaacson, Stephen King, Chuck Klosterman, and David McCullough.{{cite news |url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/morning-media-newsfeed-ss-joins-ebook-services-netflix-to-expand-spotify-hits-milestone/ | title=Morning Media Newsfeed: S&S Joins eBook Services | first=Christine | last=Zosche | work=AdWeek | date=May 22, 2014}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.engadget.com/2014-05-23-oyster-scribd-subscription-ebook.html | title=Top publisher embraces Oyster's and Scribd's Netflix-like services for e-books | first=Mariella | last=Moon | work=Engadget | date=May 23, 2014}} Scribd has been criticized for advertising a free 14 day trial for which payment is required before readers can trial the products. Readers discover this when they attempt to download material.

Scribd added audiobooks to its subscription service in November 2014 and comic books in February 2015.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2014/11/06/scribd-audiobooks-library-amazon-pressure/ |title=Scribd Adds Audiobooks To All-You-Read Library, Piling Pressure On Amazon |first=Ryan |last=Mac |magazine=Forbes |date=November 6, 2014 }}{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/10/scribd-adds-marvel-comics/ |title=Scribd Adds Comics From Marvel, IDW, And Others To Its Subscription E-Book Service |first=Anthony |last=Ha |work=TechCrunch |date=February 10, 2015 |access-date=June 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806233923/https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/10/scribd-adds-marvel-comics/ |url-status=live }}

In February 2016, it was announced that only titles from a rotating selection of the library would be available for unlimited reading, and subscribers would have credits to read three books and one audiobook per month from the entire library with unused credits rolling over to the next month.{{cite web|url=http://teleread.com/scribd-will-change-subscription-service-unlimited-semi-unlimited/|title=Scribd will change its subscription service from unlimited to semi-unlimited|website=TeleRead|date=February 16, 2016|access-date=February 16, 2016|archive-date=July 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703132740/http://www.teleread.com/scribd-will-change-subscription-service-unlimited-semi-unlimited/|url-status=live}}

The reporting system was discontinued on February 6, 2018, in favor of a system of "constantly rotating catalogs of ebooks and audiobooks" that provided "an unlimited number of books and audiobooks, alongside unlimited access to news, magazines, documents, and sheet music"{{Cite web|url=https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000157466-When-did-I-get-unlimited-reading-|title=When did I get unlimited reading?|website=Scribd Help Center|language=en-US|access-date=August 30, 2018|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806223639/https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000157466-When-did-I-get-unlimited-reading-|url-status=dead}} for a monthly subscription fee of US$8.99.{{Cite web|url=https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/210134106-Scribd-s-Membership#What-are-the-benefits|title=Scribd's Membership|website=Scribd Help Center|language=en-US|access-date=August 30, 2018|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111222418/https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/210134106-Scribd-s-Membership#What-are-the-benefits|url-status=live}} However, under this unlimited service, Scribd would occasionally "limit the titles that you’re able to access within a specific content library in a 30-day period."{{Cite web|title=How many books can I read each month?|url=https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/210135706-How-many-books-can-I-read-each-month-|last=O.|first=Katy|date=August 28, 2018|website=Scribd Help Center|language=en-US|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830014147/https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/210135706-How-many-books-can-I-read-each-month-|archive-date=August 30, 2018}}

In October 2018, Scribd announced a joint subscription to Scribd and The New York Times for $12.99 per month.

In November 2014, Scribd added audiobooks to its subscription library.{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/11/6/7164543/scribd-adds-audiobooks-to-ebook-subscription-service |title=Scribd expands its subscription library to include audiobooks |first=Jacob |last=Kastrenakes |website=The Verge |date=November 6, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2017 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111225726/http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/6/7164543/scribd-adds-audiobooks-to-ebook-subscription-service |url-status=live }} Wired noted that this was the first subscription service to offer unlimited access to audiobooks, and "it represents a much larger shift in the way digital content is consumed over the net."{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/11/scribd-rolls-internets-first-can-listen-audiobooks-service/ |title=Scribd Rolls Out the Internet's First All-You-Can-Listen Audiobooks Service |first=Cade |last=Metz |magazine=Wired |date=November 6, 2014 }} In April 2015, the company expanded its audiobook catalog in a deal with Penguin Random House.{{cite news |url=https://thenextweb.com/media/2015/04/16/scribd-adds-9000-penguin-random-house-audiobooks-including-game-of-thrones/ |title=Scribd adds 9,000 Penguin Random House audiobooks including 'Game of Thrones' |first=Mic |last=Wright |publisher=The Next Web |date=April 16, 2015 |access-date=June 18, 2018 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806223421/https://thenextweb.com/media/2015/04/16/scribd-adds-9000-penguin-random-house-audiobooks-including-game-of-thrones/ |url-status=live }} This added 9,000 audiobooks to its platform including titles from authors like Lena Dunham, John Grisham, Gillian Flynn, and George R.R. Martin.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/business/media/scribd-expands-audiobook-catalog-in-deal-with-penguin-random-house.html?_r=0 |title=Scribd Expands Audiobook Catalog in Deal With Penguin Random House |first=Alexandra |last=Alter |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 16, 2015 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=August 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821064627/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/business/media/scribd-expands-audiobook-catalog-in-deal-with-penguin-random-house.html?_r=0 |url-status=live }}

===Comics===

In February 2015, Scribd introduced comics to its subscription service.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/02/scribd-comic-books/ |title=Scribd Unveils 'Netflix for Comics' |first=Davey |last=Alba |author-link=Davey Alba|magazine=Wired |date=February 10, 2015 }} The company added 10,000 comics and graphic novels from publishers including Marvel, Archie, Boom! Studios, Dynamite, IDW, and Valiant. These included series such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, X-O Manowar, and The Avengers.{{cite news |url=http://mashable.com/2015/02/10/scribd-comics-subscription/ |title=Scribd gains the superpower of an unlimited comic book subscription |first=Seth |last=Fiegerman |publisher=Mashable |date=February 10, 2015 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-date=November 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129131925/https://mashable.com/2015/02/10/scribd-comics-subscription/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.cnet.com/news/scribd-adds-comics-9-per-month/ |title=Scribd serves up all the comics you can read, for $9 per month |first=Sarah |last=Mitroff |publisher=CNet |date=February 10, 2015 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714133744/http://www.cnet.com/news/scribd-adds-comics-9-per-month/ |url-status=live }} However, in December 2016, comics were eliminated from the service due to low demand.

In November 2023, Scribd unbundled from one single product into three distinct ones: Everand, Scribd, and Slideshare. Everand was launched as a new subscription-based service, focused solely on a customer looking for entertainment in the form of books, magazines, podcasts and more.

In February 2010, Scribd unveiled its first mobile plans for e-readers and smartphones.{{cite news | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704140104575057501723639926 | title = Scribd Plans Mobile Application | newspaper = The Wall Street Journal | access-date = February 10, 2010 | first = Geoffrey A. | last = Fowler | date = February 10, 2010 | url-access = subscription | archive-date = October 29, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201029174105/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704140104575057501723639926 | url-status = live }} In April 2010 Scribd launched a new feature called "Readcast",{{cite web| url = http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20003081-248.html?tag=mncol | title = Scribd gets 'Readcasting': Autosharing made easy | publisher = CNet | access-date = April 21, 2010}} which allows automatic sharing of documents on Facebook and Twitter.{{cite web | url = http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Scribd-Launches-Readcast-Integrates-With-Facebook-Social-Plugins-Make-Reading-More-Social-1151594.htm | title = Scribd launches readcast | publisher = Marketwire | access-date = April 15, 2010 | archive-date = June 15, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110615224341/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Scribd-Launches-Readcast-Integrates-With-Facebook-Social-Plugins-Make-Reading-More-Social-1151594.htm | url-status = live }} Also in April 2010, Scribd announced its integration of Facebook social plug-ins at the Facebook f8 Developer Conference.{{cite news | url = http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/04/21/scribds-bet-on-the-facebook-effect/ | title = Scribd's bet on the Facebook Effect | publisher = CNN | access-date = April 21, 2010 | date = April 21, 2010 | archive-date = August 7, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200807083326/http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/04/21/scribds-bet-on-the-facebook-effect/ | url-status = live }}

Scribd rolled out a redesign on September 13, 2010, to become, according to TechCrunch, "the social network for reading".{{cite news | url = https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/13/scribd-redesign/ | title = Scribd Redesign Is An Attempt To Become A "Social Network For Reading" | work = TechCrunch | access-date = September 13, 2010 | archive-date = August 7, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200807020318/https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/13/scribd-redesign/ | url-status = live }}

In October 2013, Scribd launched its e-book subscription service, allowing readers to pay a flat monthly fee in exchange for unlimited access to all of Scribd's book titles.{{cite web |last=Carr |first=Austin |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3018856/scribd-harpercollins-launch-899-subscription-book-service |title=Scribd, HarperCollins Launch $8.99 Subscription Book Service |work=Fast Company |date=October 1, 2013 |access-date=December 30, 2013 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031020300/https://www.fastcompany.com/3018856/scribd-harpercollins-launch-899-subscription-book-service |url-status=live }}

In August 2020, Scribd announced its acquisition of the LinkedIn-owned SlideShare for an undisclosed amount.{{cite news | url = https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/11/scribd-acquires-slideshare/ | title = Scribd acquires presentation-sharing service SlideShare from LinkedIn | work = TechCrunch | access-date = August 11, 2020 | archive-date = August 30, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200830072102/https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/11/scribd-acquires-slideshare/ | url-status = live }}

In November 2023, Scribd unbundled into three distinct products: Everand, Scribd, and Slideshare. Everand was launched as a new product, focusing solely on books, magazines, podcasts and more.

The company was initially funded with US$120,000 from Y Combinator in 2006, and received over US$3.7 million in June 2007 from Redpoint Ventures and The Kinsey Hills Group.{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/06/04/scribd-banks-35-million-from-redpoint/ |title=Scribd Banks $3.5 Million from Redpoint |date=June 4, 2007 |access-date=June 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807014135/https://techcrunch.com/2007/06/04/scribd-banks-35-million-from-redpoint/ |url-status=live }}

In December 2008, the company raised US$9 million in a second round of funding led by Charles River Ventures with re-investment from Redpoint Ventures and Kinsey Hills Group.{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2008/12/19/scribd-raises-9-million-hires-new-president-for-social-publishing/ |title=Scribd raises $9 million, hires new president for social publishing |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |website=VentureBeat |date=December 19, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807040812/https://venturebeat.com/2008/12/19/scribd-raises-9-million-hires-new-president-for-social-publishing/ |url-status=live }}

David O. Sacks, former PayPal COO and founder of Yammer and Geni, joined Scribd's board of directors in January 2010.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/01/18/yammer-founder-david-sacks-joins-scribd-board-of-directors/ |title=Yammer Founder David Sacks Joins Scribd Board Of Directors |work=TechCrunch |date=January 18, 2010 |first=Michael |last=Arrington |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807021729/https://techcrunch.com/2010/01/18/yammer-founder-david-sacks-joins-scribd-board-of-directors/ |url-status=live }}

In January 2011, Scribd raised $13 million in a Series C round led by MLC Investments of Australia and SVB Capital.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/18/scribd-raises-another-13-million-aims-to-bring-social-reading-to-every-device/ | title=Scribd Raises Another $13 Million, Aims To Bring Social Reading To Every Device | first=Jason | last=Kincaid | work=TechCrunch | date=January 18, 2011}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2011/01/18/scribd-raises-13-million-series-c.html | title=Scribd raises $13 million Series C | first=Patrick | last=Hoge | work=American City Business Journals | date=January 18, 2011}}

In January 2015, the company raised US$22 million from Khosla Ventures with partner Keith Rabois joining the Scribd board of directors.{{cite news |title=Scribd Raises $22M For Its Subscription E-Book Service |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/02/scribd-khosla-funding/ |first=Anthony |last=Ha | work=TechCrunch |date=January 2, 2015 |archive-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023082124/https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/02/scribd-khosla-funding/|url-status=live}}{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scribd-raises-22-million-funding-round-to-expand-its-book-subscription-service-300015481.html | title=Scribd Raises $22 Million Funding Round to Expand its Book Subscription Service | publisher=PR Newswire | date=January 5, 2015}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-scribd-brings-in-22-million-ebook-subscriptions-20150105-story.html | title=Scribd brings in $22 million to expand e-book subscription service | first=Carolyn | last=Kellogg | work=Los Angeles Times | date=January 5, 2015 | url-access=limited}}

In 2019, Scribd raised $58 million in a financing round led by Spectrum Equity.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/25/scribd-spectrum-equity/|title=Scribd raises $58M for subscription e-books and audiobooks|first=Anthony|last=Ha|website=TechCrunch|date=November 25, 2019|access-date=May 10, 2020|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029205438/https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/25/scribd-spectrum-equity/|url-status=live}}

In July 2008, Scribd began using iPaper, a rich document format similar to PDF and built for the web, which allows users to embed documents into a web page.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/02/ipaper_a_simple_way_to_view_and_share_documents_on_the_web/ |title=iPaper: a Simple Way to View and Share Documents on the Web | magazine=Wired | date = February 20, 2008 | access-date=August 28, 2014}} iPaper was built with Adobe Flash, allowing it to be viewed the same across different operating systems (Windows, Mac OS, and Linux) without conversion, as long as the reader has Flash installed (although Scribd has announced non-Flash support for the iPhone).{{cite web |url=http://blog.scribd.com/2008/04/05/scribd-on-your-iphone/ |title=Scribd on your iPhone |website=Scribd |date=April 5, 2008 |access-date=February 10, 2010 |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212191518/http://blog.scribd.com/2008/04/05/scribd-on-your-iphone/ |url-status=live }} All major document types can be formatted into iPaper including Word docs, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, OpenDocument documents, OpenOffice.org XML documents, and PostScript files.

All iPaper documents are hosted on Scribd. Scribd allows published documents to either be private or open to the larger Scribd community. The iPaper document viewer is also embeddable in any website or blog, making it simple to embed documents in their original layout regardless of file format. Scribd iPaper required Flash cookies to be enabled, which is the default setting in Flash.{{cite web |url=http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html |title=Global Storage Settings panel |website=macromedia.com |publisher=Adobe |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-date=November 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130054824/http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html |url-status=live }}

On May 5, 2010, Scribd announced that they would be converting the entire site to HTML5 at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco.{{cite conference| url = https://conferences.oreilly.com/web2expo/webexsf2010/public/schedule/detail/15348 |first=Jared |last=Friedman | title = HTML5 and The Future of Publishing | conference = Web 2.0 Expo | conference-url = https://conferences.oreilly.com/webexsf2010/ |date = May 6, 2010 | access-date = September 3, 2017}} TechCrunch reported that Scribd is migrating away from Flash to HTML5. "Scribd co-founder and chief technology officer Jared Friedman tells me: 'We are scrapping three years of Flash development and betting the company on HTML5 because we believe HTML5 is a dramatically better reading experience than Flash. Now any document can become a Web page.'"{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/05/scribd-html5/ |title=Scribd CTO: We Are Scrapping Flash And Betting The Company On HTML5 |first=Erick |last=Schonfeld |website=TechCrunch |date=May 5, 2010 |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030150359/https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/05/scribd-html5/ |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine | url = http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/43942-betting-the-house-on-html5.html | title = Betting the House on HTML5 | first = Andrew Richard | last = Albanese | date = July 26, 2010 | magazine = Publishers Weekly | access-date = September 3, 2017}}

Scribd has its own API to integrate external/third-party applications,{{cite web | title = Scribd SAP Largest API Integration Press Release | date = March 10, 2009 | publisher = Scribd | url = https://www.scribd.com/doc/29110682/Scribd-SAP-Largest-API-Integration-Press-Release | access-date = September 22, 2010 | archive-date = September 22, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150922104527/https://www.scribd.com/doc/29110682/Scribd-SAP-Largest-API-Integration-Press-Release | url-status = live }} but is no longer offering new API accounts.{{cite web| url = https://www.scribd.com/developers | title = Scribd Developer Documentation | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150728183701/https://www.scribd.com/developers | archive-date = July 28, 2015 }}

Since 2010, Scribd has been available on mobile phones and e-readers, in addition to personal computers. As of December 2013, Scribd became available on app stores and various mobile devices.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}

Scribd has been accused of "[having] built its business on stealing from former customers" after numerous complaints of continuing to charge former subscribers on a monthly basis who had cancelled their subscriptions long prior to the charges.{{cite web | url=https://the-digital-reader.com/scribd-continues-to-steal-from-former-subscribers/ | title=Scribd Continues to Steal from Former Subscribers | date=January 15, 2020 }}

Scribd has been accused of copyright infringement. In 2007, one year after its inception, Scribd was served with 25 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices.{{cite web | work = Scribd | title = Scribd looks like a winner | date = March 29, 2009 | publisher = TechCrunch | url = https://techcrunch.com/2007/03/25/scribd-growing-like-youtube/ | access-date = January 1, 2010 | archive-date = October 28, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201028190745/https://techcrunch.com/2007/03/25/scribd-growing-like-youtube/ | url-status = live }} In March 2009, The Guardian writes, "Harry Potter author [J.K. Rowling] is among writers shocked to discover their books available as free downloads. Neil Blair, Rowling’s lawyer, said the Harry Potter downloads were 'unauthorised and unlawful'...Rowling's novels aren't the only ones to be available from Scribd. A quick search throws up novels from Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, Jeffrey Archer, Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and J.R.R. Tolkien."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/mar/30/scribd-rowling-free-book-outrage|title=JK Rowling leads fight against free books site Scribd|last=Flood|first=Alison|date=March 30, 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 21, 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029032050/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/mar/30/scribd-rowling-free-book-outrage|url-status=live}} In September 2009, American author Elaine Scott alleged that Scribd "shamelessly profits from the stolen copyrighted works of innumerable authors".{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/sep/21/scribd-lawsuit | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=Book sharing site Scribd rejects claims of copyright infringement | first=Bobbie | last=Johnson | date=September 21, 2009 | access-date=December 17, 2016 | archive-date=August 6, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806235855/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/sep/21/scribd-lawsuit | url-status=live }} Her attorneys sought class action status in their efforts to win damages from Scribd for allegedly "egregious copyright infringement" and accused it of calculated copyright infringement for profit.{{cite web | url = http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090919/1907586243.shtml | title = Class Action Copyright Suit Filed Against Scribd... By Jammie Thomas' Lawyers? | publisher = TechDirt | date = September 21, 2009 | access-date = September 21, 2009 | archive-date = August 7, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200807005434/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090919/1907586243.shtml | url-status = live }}{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10357108-93.html |title=Jammie Thomas lawyers file suit against Scribd |first=Greg |last=Sandoval |date=September 19, 2009 |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=December 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229124323/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10357108-93.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news| url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10357108-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5| title=Jammie Thomas lawyers file suit against Scribd| date=September 19, 2009| first=Motoko| last=Rich| publisher=CNET News.com| access-date=September 19, 2009}} The suit was dropped in July 2010.{{cite web | work = Scribd | title = Lawsuit Saying Scribd's Copyright-Protection Filters Infringe On Copyrights Has Been Dumped | date = July 19, 2010 | publisher = TechDirt | url = http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100719/12105310280.shtml | access-date = September 24, 2010 | archive-date = October 26, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201026080358/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100719/12105310280.shtml | url-status = live }}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/copyrightfiltering-scribd/ | title=Lawsuit Dropped; Claimed That Copyright-Filtering Violates Copyright |date= July 19, 2010 |access-date=February 21, 2013 | last=Kravets |first=David |magazine=Wired}}

In March 2009, the passwords of several Comcast customers were leaked on Scribd. The passwords were later removed when the news was published by The New York Times.{{cite news | title = Passwords of Comcast Customers Exposed | date = March 16, 2009 | newspaper = The New York Times | url = https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/passwords-of-8000-comcast-customers-exposed/ | access-date = September 3, 2017 | first = Brad | last = Stone | archive-date = August 7, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200807020631/https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/passwords-of-8000-comcast-customers-exposed/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web | title = Comcast passwords leaked onto the web | date = March 29, 2009 | publisher = CNet | url = http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10197789-83.html | access-date = January 1, 2010 | archive-date = December 29, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229124327/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10197789-83.html | url-status = live }}{{cite web | title = Comcast User Names and Passwords Exposed | date = March 29, 2009 | publisher = HotHardware | url = http://hothardware.com/News/Comcast-User-Names-and-Passwords-Exposed/ | access-date = September 3, 2017 | archive-date = August 5, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200805022349/https://hothardware.com/news/comcast-user-names-and-passwords-exposed | url-status = live }}

In July 2010, the script of The Social Network (2010) movie was uploaded and leaked on Scribd; it was promptly taken down per Sony's DMCA request.

Following a decision of the Istanbul 12th Criminal Court of Peace, dated March 8, 2013, access to Scribd is blocked for Internet users in Turkey.{{cite web |title=Freedom on the Net – Turkey 2013 |url=http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2013/turkey |publisher=Freedom House |access-date=October 3, 2013 |archive-date=September 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901155403/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2013/turkey |url-status=live }}

In July 2014, Scribd was sued by Disability Rights Advocates (represented by Haben Girma), on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind and a blind Vermont resident, for allegedly failing to provide access to blind readers, in violation of the Americans with Disability Act.{{cite news|last1=Adwar|first1=Corey|title=26-Year-Old Deaf-Blind Lawyer Sues Scribd For Alleged Discrimination|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/haben-girma-sues-scribd-2014-8|access-date=April 21, 2017|newspaper=Business Insider|date=August 20, 2014|archive-date=February 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216051514/https://www.businessinsider.com/haben-girma-sues-scribd-2014-8|url-status=live}} Scribd moved to dismiss, arguing that the ADA only applied to physical locations. In March 2015, the U.S. District Court of Vermont ruled that the ADA covered online businesses as well. A settlement agreement was reached, with Scribd agreeing to provide content accessible to blind readers by the end of 2017.{{cite web|title=National Federation of the Blind, et al. v. Scribd, Inc.|url=http://dralegal.org/case/national-federation-of-the-blind-et-al-v-scribd-inc/|website=Disability Rights Advocates|access-date=April 21, 2017|date=July 14, 2016|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103140940/https://dralegal.org/case/national-federation-of-the-blind-et-al-v-scribd-inc/|url-status=live}}

To counteract the uploading of unauthorized content, Scribd created BookID, an automated copyright protection system that helps authors and publishers identify unauthorized use of their works on Scribd.{{cite news |url=https://www.scribd.com/copyright/bookid |title=BookID |publisher=Scribd |date=June 29, 2015 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229005349/https://www.scribd.com/copyright/bookid |url-status=live }} This technology works by analyzing documents for semantic data, metadata, images, and other elements and creates an encoded "fingerprint" of the copyrighted work.{{cite news |url=http://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/french-watchdog-accuses-scribd-of-ebook-piracy |title=French Watchdog Accuses Scribd of eBook Piracy |first=Michael |last=Kozlowski |publisher=Good eReader |date=October 13, 2014 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817123311/https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/french-watchdog-accuses-scribd-of-ebook-piracy |url-status=live }}

Supported formats include:{{cite web |url=http://support.scribd.com/forums/35566/entries/25092 |title=Info, FAQs, and Forums/FAQ: Writing, Uploading and Managing Documents |author=Jason |date=February 26, 2009 |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624020507/https://support.scribd.com/hc/404 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Jasons |date=2023-10-29 |title=Scribd Downloader - Download Scribd for free Online Docs 2024 |url=https://dlscribd.net/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321212912/https://dlscribd.net/ |archive-date=2024-03-21 |access-date=2024-03-28 |language=en-US}}

• Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pps, .pptx, .ppsx)
• Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
• OpenDocument (.odt, .odp, .ods, .odf, .odg)
• OpenOffice.org XML (.sxw, .sxi, .sxc, .sxd)
• Plain text (.txt)
• Portable Document Format (.pdf)
• PostScript (.ps)
• Rich text format (.rtf)
• Tagged image file format (.tif, .tiff)

• Slideshare
• Everand
• Amazon Lending Library and Kindle Unlimited
• Document collaboration
• Oyster (company)
• Wayback Machine
• WebCite

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{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}}

{{E-book digital distribution platforms}}

{{Presentation software}}

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