Amazon uses DMCA to restrict where you can buy e-books

[NatCh]

I have no trouble believing it -- even without this latest example, I've seen entirely too many others in the past. For that matter, this isn't even the first from Amazon, not even the first from Amazon dealing with e-books, for that matter!

[sigma8]

Originally Posted by EricWiz

you know who I blame for it?

US! You and me. We allow it to happen. The Itunes store was DRM for ever and did that stop people from buying Ipods? No. Best selling MP3 EVER!

Same thing will happen here. People will buy up the Kindle cuz it from Amazon and ohhhh ahhhh isn't it nifty! I for one will never buy a Kindle now. But many many many others will.

The only way to correct this sort of thing is to vote with your pocket book and the bottom line is no one cares. They will buy anyway.

Ah well.... just more of the same really.

Yet, interestingly, iTunes is now DRM free (or nearly there). So if it's truly more of the same, I guess we'll eventually get somewhere good. I am not surprised by Amazon's move at all. Even if they don't really mind people using their Kindles a bit more liberally, they have to aggressively defend their DRM otherwise it might create a disadvantageous legal precedent for when there is a legitimate infringement made upon them.

[NatCh]

But what they're aggressively defending here is not their DRM, but their DRM's effectiveness in locking Kindle owners into buying books only from Amazon.

That's not, strictly speaking, a legal issue ... unless one wants to wander into the possible anti-trust aspects of it.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I'm just wondering is there an analog to the MPAA/RIAA et al within the book world? Some organisation that might be steering these companies in the wrong direction when it comes to DRM and it uses? I still can't believe that any sane business-person would intentionally alienate their customers. It doesn't make sense at all. Especially since Amazon provide non-DRM'ed MP3 downloads.

My guess is that whoever decided to go this route really has no conception of what customer loyalty and customer alienation can to for or against a brand name.

Circuit City found out the hard way. Their motto used to be "Where Customer Service is State of the Art" .... and then those of us who realized how awful customer service actually was morphed that into "Where Customer Service Smells Just Like a Fart" .... and eventually they went belly up.

It may take a while, but if Amazon.com decides that it must have a level of control that equates to the grip of grim death over it's customers, then people are going to start buying from the competition.

[pshrynk]

I'm seriously considering sending my K2 back and getting a iLiad. It's worth the extra $300 to me to not have this carp going on.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by NatCh

But what they're aggressively defending here is not their DRM, but their DRM's effectiveness in locking Kindle owners into buying books only from Amazon.

That's not, strictly speaking, a legal issue ... unless one wants to wander into the possible anti-trust aspects of it.

Hell, they are aggressively defending the effectiveness of the DRM of OTHER publishers to prevent those books from being viewed on a Kindle.

It's really dipping way down into the bottom of the barrel.

To top it off ... Mobileread hasn't done anything illegal!! I would hazard a guess that a fair number of MR's members and lurkers aren't even residents of the United States.

Good grief ... do they even understand that, like it or not, a whole lot of Kindles are now owned by persons who are neither citizens nor residents of the US?? Seriously, how do they plan to enforce the DMCA in those cases??

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I'm seriously considering sending my K2 back and getting a iLiad. It's worth the extra $300 to me to not have this carp going on.

makes sense to me. i wonder how many other people feel the same way ?

particularly as there are plenty of cheaper alternatives as well, and new devices coming out soon with wireless support, search capabilities...

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I'm seriously considering sending my K2 back and getting a iLiad. It's worth the extra $300 to me to not have this carp going on.

Would that carp be the blue one next to the fish??

And, I too am thinking about dumping my Kindles and getting something else so that I don't have to worry about Amazon dictating what I may read or putting their noses into what is on my ebook reader.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

makes sense to me. i wonder how many other people feel the same way ?

particularly as there are plenty of cheaper alternatives as well, and new devices coming out soon with wireless support, search capabilities...

Wizpac Txtr for the win?

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Would that carp be the blue one next to the fish??

And, I too am thinking about dumping my Kindles and getting something else so that I don't have to worry about Amazon dictating what I may read or putting their noses into what is on my ebook reader.

As am I

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Wizpac Txtr for the win?

quite possibly.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

As am I

Sad, isn't it?? The two most rabid Kindle fans on earth thinking about ditching their beloved Kindles.

All because someone at Amazon has their head up their ass.

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Wizpac Txtr for the win?

That's at the top of my list, as well. If it, in fact, is distributed in the US and is less than megabucks.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Sad, isn't it?? The two most rabid Kindle fans on earth thinking about ditching their beloved Kindles.

All because someone at Amazon has their head up their ass.

See that's what they should be worried about. People who loved the device are now turning against it. Advocates, even, for its use. They've shot themselves in the foot with this one, big time. Just wait for the big push from Defective by Design against the Kindle. Bad press all the way.

[Barcey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But without Kindlepid, you cannot get the PID of your iPhone or iPod Touch. And without the PID, there is no way to strip the DRM.

The PID is the key to unlock the door that is DRM. So if I have the key, I could use it. But without the key, the Kindle eBooks remain locked good and tight.

If someone's intent is to strip off the DRM they wouldn't need KindlePID, they just need a valid Mobipocket PID. You can get one by downloading the free PC version of MobiPocket Reader or from any other device that supports Mobipocket.

The reason to use KindlePID is to purchase a Mobipocket DRM ebook and read it on the Kindle without stripping the DRM. Obviously such shady practices are in violation of the DMCA.