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Neil · 07-05-2009, 11:39 AM

They deleted from the user area so this is NOT just a synchronization issue.

First off, it only takes a usb cable to see that when downloaded from the archives the ebooks exist as actual physical files in the user area. You do not read books on Amazon's servers. You download and read the downloaded files on your device's user area. It is one thing for Amazon to say "Well, you cannot download this book anymore and we are refunding and asking you to delete downloaded copies" and another to actually delete from their servers and ALSO delete physical files from your user area.

How about if I go onto Apple's servers and download a game.... I like the game and go to play it again and get email and a note from Apple that the game was in violation of copyright and I should delete any copies. Sure enough the game is no longer available for download. So, I delete my own copy because if I do not then I would be violating copyright -- not Apple at that point which has already removed the software from the computer they own.

What Amazon is saying here is that they feel they own our Kindles, not us -- if you consider ownership to be access. Suppose I had downloaded the Ayn Rand book and I had backed it up to my computer? I actually often do that because even if you can't read the books due to DRM at least that backs them up should Jeff Bezos ever go out of business in this economy. I actually always recommend such backups to people. So, suppose that Ayn Rand book was still in my library folder on my Mac. Would Amazon have the right to go onto my Mac and delete the file? No, because it is on my private computer. Would Apple have the right if Amazon requested them to do that? Of course not. Because you have licensed software from a vendor that does not give the vendor the right to access your hardware even if they are the original manufacturer of that hardware.

The more I see how Amazon is handling everything from DRM to fonts to this the more uncomfortable I get. They really do not seem to be putting their customers and the privacy of their customers and the rights of their customers first.

I think that there are some very serious issues at stake here.

07-05-2009, 11:39 AM	#93
Neil Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 10932816 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad Mini 6, iPad Air, Kindles HD 8, HD 10, Oasis 3, Scribe, Colorsoft	They deleted from the user area so this is NOT just a synchronization issue. First off, it only takes a usb cable to see that when downloaded from the archives the ebooks exist as actual physical files in the user area. You do not read books on Amazon's servers. You download and read the downloaded files on your device's user area. It is one thing for Amazon to say "Well, you cannot download this book anymore and we are refunding and asking you to delete downloaded copies" and another to actually delete from their servers and ALSO delete physical files from your user area. How about if I go onto Apple's servers and download a game.... I like the game and go to play it again and get email and a note from Apple that the game was in violation of copyright and I should delete any copies. Sure enough the game is no longer available for download. So, I delete my own copy because if I do not then I would be violating copyright -- not Apple at that point which has already removed the software from the computer they own. What Amazon is saying here is that they feel they own our Kindles, not us -- if you consider ownership to be access. Suppose I had downloaded the Ayn Rand book and I had backed it up to my computer? I actually often do that because even if you can't read the books due to DRM at least that backs them up should Jeff Bezos ever go out of business in this economy. I actually always recommend such backups to people. So, suppose that Ayn Rand book was still in my library folder on my Mac. Would Amazon have the right to go onto my Mac and delete the file? No, because it is on my private computer. Would Apple have the right if Amazon requested them to do that? Of course not. Because you have licensed software from a vendor that does not give the vendor the right to access your hardware even if they are the original manufacturer of that hardware. The more I see how Amazon is handling everything from DRM to fonts to this the more uncomfortable I get. They really do not seem to be putting their customers and the privacy of their customers and the rights of their customers first. I think that there are some very serious issues at stake here.