[Argel]

I'm interested in Nate's suggestion that people complain to Amazon about the inability of the new Mobi desktop software to deal with the Kindle. Elsewhere he gives useful tips for transferring protected files from other sellers.

I know that Nate is an expert on all this but surely the separation of Mobi and Kindle is exactly what Amazon are aiming for. They want to tie Kindle users to Amazon as their sole source of material. Nate points out that books are sometimes available cheaper elsewhere but that is precisely the point.

I would be interested to know what the licensing agreement for the Kindle says but I would not be surprised if it included a specific agreement only to download DRM material approved by Amazon onto the device.

Given that the Kindle can communicate with Amazon, is it possible that Amazon, unlike other device sellers, will actually be able to enforce the condition by checking on the content of individual Kindles?

I started off chewing my fingernails waiting for the Kindle to launch in the UK but I'm beginning to wonder whether I would be signing a pact with the devil. There is not even any guarantee that the device will continue to use the Mobi format. If Amazon become dominant, who is to say they won't devise their own format, with once-off translations for existing purchases. Given Amazon's dominance that could effectively kill the other formats.

Designing the Kindle's DRM so files can't be read elsewhere, crippling the Mobi desktop software - these are pretty clear indications of where Amazon intends to take us. They are quite prepared to be ruthless, as they showed recently when they threatened - in effect - to put print-on-demand publishers out of business unless they use Amazon's own POD service.

Maybe it's the Cybook after all. Sigh.

Argel