ZDNet: Amazon Lands Patent on Marketplace for Selling on Used Digital Content

[emoorman]

I am sick and tired of greedy authors, coders and musicians who want a payment every time I read, play or use their work. or sell it used. If I buy a paper book, I can surely take it to a used book store and sell or trade it in; and I have done this. Either I own it or I don't own it. Let me know if I don't own the copy of the book I "bought" and I won't buy any more of yours, thank you very much!

Now I will agree that selling it many times is not proper or legal, as is copying.

I have also read that some don't want you quoting their works without payment. I also consider this totally ridiculous. A proper quote with a footnote and bibliography should be sufficient and enough recognition for the author, as it always has been. If it is not allowed to be quoted, in my opinion, it shouldn't be published.

Thank you for reading my vent.

Ed
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, I have others." Groucho Marx.

[jhempel24]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

What I found funny was that he totally missed libraries until a commenter mentioned it. I'm a little put off by the (paraphrase) "I'd rather you go the illegal route than give Amazon money that I won't see part of" thing. Especially since his brain skipped over libraries. I understand his perspective, more or less, but I can't imagine a situation in which I would prefer people break the law to obtain my work rather than take any available legal route to get it.

My thought its...why should you give Amazon money for HIS work when he won't see a dime of it. JA Konrath is on the same side. He actually doesn't care if you distribute his work for free. Those words are actually on this site somewhere, but I can't find it lol.

[misling]

As with any other Marketplace (used Amazon) transaction, you're paying Amazon for 1. connecting buyer with seller and 2. processing the payment transactions for you. That's all, far as I can see.
And second-hand book sales rarely bring any monetary benefit to the author - I don't see a big difference here from selling a used paperback.
Edit: might bring a new reader, of course.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

My thought its...why should you give Amazon money for HIS work when he won't see a dime of it. JA Konrath is on the same side. He actually doesn't care if you distribute his work for free. Those words are actually on this site somewhere, but I can't find it lol.

While I'm sure most people would be happy to take an author's word that it's okay to do so, Konrath and Scalzi aren't in the same situation in terms of publication. Konrath holds publishing rights to his work - he has the right to give people permission to do whatever with those works. An author who is beholden to a publishing contract usually does not have that right. While I'm sure Tor isn't any happier than Scalzi about the possibility of used ebook sales, I don't imagine they will take the same line on this.

[jhempel24]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

While I'm sure most people would be happy to take an author's word that it's okay to do so, Konrath and Scalzi aren't in the same situation in terms of publication. Konrath holds publishing rights to his work - he has the right to give people permission to do whatever with those works. An author who is beholden to a publishing contract usually does not have that right. While I'm sure Tor isn't any happier than Scalzi about the possibility of used ebook sales, I don't imagine they will take the same line on this.

Actually Konrath only holds rights to some of his work. He was specifically talking about the Jack Daniels series, which I don't believe he does. I had emailed him about a problem in one of his books and he kind of just went on a rant about it and even posted something here in response....I wish I could find it...arrgh!

The publisher doesn't get any money from the deal either, so Tor probably wouldn't care either

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by emoorman

I am sick and tired of greedy authors, coders and musicians who want a payment every time I read, play or use their work. or sell it used. If I buy a paper book, I can surely take it to a used book store and sell or trade it in; and I have done this. Either I own it or I don't own it. Let me know if I don't own the copy of the book I "bought" and I won't buy any more of yours, thank you very much!

Amazon already have "let you know". From the Kindle Terms of Use:

Use of Digital Content. Upon your download of Digital Content and payment of any applicable fees (including applicable taxes), the Content Provider grants you a non-exclusive right to view, use, and display such Digital Content an unlimited number of times, solely on the Kindle or a Reading Application or as otherwise permitted as part of the Service, solely on the number of Kindles or Other Devices specified in the Kindle Store, and solely for your personal, non-commercial use. Unless otherwise specified, Digital Content is licensed, not sold, to you by the Content Provider. The Content Provider may include additional terms for use within its Digital Content. Those terms will also apply, but this Agreement will govern in the event of a conflict. Some Digital Content, such as Periodicals, may not be available to you through Reading Applications.

(emphasis mine).

[NightBird]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

My thought its...why should you give Amazon money for HIS work when he won't see a dime of it. JA Konrath is on the same side. He actually doesn't care if you distribute his work for free. Those words are actually on this site somewhere, but I can't find it lol.

Originally Posted by jhempel24

Actually Konrath only holds rights to some of his work. He was specifically talking about the Jack Daniels series, which I don't believe he does. I had emailed him about a problem in one of his books and he kind of just went on a rant about it and even posted something here in response....I wish I could find it...arrgh!

The publisher doesn't get any money from the deal either, so Tor probably wouldn't care either

Here ya go:

Nice Save by JA Konrath

[kevinp]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

My thought its...why should you give Amazon money for HIS work when he won't see a dime of it. JA Konrath is on the same side. He actually doesn't care if you distribute his work for free. Those words are actually on this site somewhere, but I can't find it lol.

Back to the Ford truck example...

If I buy a used F150 pickup, Ford doesn't get a dime from the sale.

Anyway, the whole point is moot, because as Harry pointed out, the license agreement on anything digital you "buy", whether it's ebooks, software, videos, etc., strictly forbids "selling" what was never officially yours in the first place.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Amazon already have "let you know". From the Kindle Terms of Use:



(emphasis mine).

I joined Amazon before they had a Kindle. Thus, no TOS. Amazon has never made me click anything to say I agree to the TOS. Amazon has never put the TOS on my screen for me to read. So, does this make the TOS invalid? It very well may.