I recieve the Novelist Newsletter (David Carr) and thought I'd share a snippet of it here with you. If you have or are considering a Kindle then read on and be informed.
Kindle Recalls 1984 (Joke!)
It's not much of a joke at all. Speaking of copious things, Amazon.com discovered that Kindle editions of 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell had been provided by a publisher lacking the rights to do that. So, rather than find a resolution to the problem - provide legitimate texts or send replacement paper copies, for example - Amazon reached out to the readers who had purchased these two items, or rather reached out to their Kindles directly, and erased the books. Who owns and controls a book? When it's an e-book, the answer to that question may be in doubt.
The New York Times reported on July 18:
"Retailers of physical goods cannot, of course, force their way into a customer's home to take back a purchase, no matter how bootlegged it turns out to be. Yet Amazon appears to maintain a unique tether to the digital content it sells for the Kindle. 'It illustrates how few rights you have when you buy an e-book from Amazon,' said Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer for British Telecom and an expert on computer security and commerce. 'As a Kindle owner, I'm frustrated. I can't lend people books and I can't sell books that I've already read, and now it turns out that I can't even count on still having my books tomorrow.'"
Unless, of course, Mr. Schneier has a library card to count on.
In related news, Bloomberg News reported on July 31 that a high school student is filing suit against Amazon for their actions:
"Justin Gawronski alleges that Amazon.com didn't disclose to Kindle users that it has the ability to remotely delete e-books purchased for the handheld device, according to a proposed class-action complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Seattle, where Amazon is based. .Gawronski, 17, claims the unexpected deletion rendered useless 'copious' notes he had written in the Kindle, because they no longer linked to specific paragraphs. He said he was about midway through reading 1984 for a summer homework assignment at his school in Shelby Township, Michigan."
Poor Justin! I don't know which is worse: Having his copy of 1984 nabbed, or having to read it during summer vacation (and take copious notes as well).
(Are notes anything other than "copious?" I suppose they can be "sketchy," but usually, if notes are something, it's likely to be "copious.")
If you are interested in revieving a Novelist Newsletter:
Simply go Here and click on the Newsletters section.You'll also be able to sign up and view current editions of any of the newsletters offered by NoveList.
Kindle Recalls 1984 (Joke!)
It's not much of a joke at all. Speaking of copious things, Amazon.com discovered that Kindle editions of 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell had been provided by a publisher lacking the rights to do that. So, rather than find a resolution to the problem - provide legitimate texts or send replacement paper copies, for example - Amazon reached out to the readers who had purchased these two items, or rather reached out to their Kindles directly, and erased the books. Who owns and controls a book? When it's an e-book, the answer to that question may be in doubt.
The New York Times reported on July 18:
"Retailers of physical goods cannot, of course, force their way into a customer's home to take back a purchase, no matter how bootlegged it turns out to be. Yet Amazon appears to maintain a unique tether to the digital content it sells for the Kindle. 'It illustrates how few rights you have when you buy an e-book from Amazon,' said Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer for British Telecom and an expert on computer security and commerce. 'As a Kindle owner, I'm frustrated. I can't lend people books and I can't sell books that I've already read, and now it turns out that I can't even count on still having my books tomorrow.'"
Unless, of course, Mr. Schneier has a library card to count on.
In related news, Bloomberg News reported on July 31 that a high school student is filing suit against Amazon for their actions:
"Justin Gawronski alleges that Amazon.com didn't disclose to Kindle users that it has the ability to remotely delete e-books purchased for the handheld device, according to a proposed class-action complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Seattle, where Amazon is based. .Gawronski, 17, claims the unexpected deletion rendered useless 'copious' notes he had written in the Kindle, because they no longer linked to specific paragraphs. He said he was about midway through reading 1984 for a summer homework assignment at his school in Shelby Township, Michigan."
Poor Justin! I don't know which is worse: Having his copy of 1984 nabbed, or having to read it during summer vacation (and take copious notes as well).
(Are notes anything other than "copious?" I suppose they can be "sketchy," but usually, if notes are something, it's likely to be "copious.")
If you are interested in revieving a Novelist Newsletter:
Simply go Here and click on the Newsletters section.You'll also be able to sign up and view current editions of any of the newsletters offered by NoveList.
