I don't recall the specific procedure from purchasing my Kindle, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't a click-through agreement at some point in the process -- most likely at purchase, since it was already tied to my account by the time it was shipped.
I see no indication that this dust-up will lead to any sort of copyright reform.
I also see no particular reason why this action would be illegal. Unwanted yes, undesirable yes, but illegal? What's the statute? Remember, this is not an organization with no right to access your e-reader; you've already granted them access in the TOS. You are also not purchasing tangible property, you're licensing content.
For example, a shareware application has the legal right to time out and render itself completely inoperable -- not much different than a deletion. MMORPG's can wipe out virtual objects that are "owned" by your character, or even delete your character altogether for any reason they see fit. I've seen Microsoft server products that, if used in a way that just
implies that you're not using it within the scope of the license, will actually shut down the entire server in 30 minutes. (You can't move certain FSMO roles off of an SBS server, in case you're curious.
)
Supremely annoying? Yes. Potentially causes huge problems for a business? Yes. Ruined my day? Definitely. Illegal? Well....
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Originally Posted by Sweetpea
I think nobody has a right to look on my data-storage device, be it my computer, PDA or ereader. Either, you have to sign an agreement that Amazon is allowed to do that (I can't buy the Kindle, so I don't know if that's the case or not) or Amazon is out of line by looking on my device.
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You, uh, might want to stop using a Google or Yahoo or Hotmail account, and block all advertising software, and delete cookies every single day, oh yeah and stop posting on web forums (as they record your IP address with every post and/or login), and obviously don't play any online games. Or move out of the US, since the NSA has already shown a penchant for snooping on massive amounts of Internet traffic. Or just shut down your computer.
More to the point, it's not that Amazon is reaching out with its digital tentacles and snooping on your device. By design, purchases through the Kindle store are recorded in a database; this is what allows you to synchronize books, notes, and last page read across multiple devices. I.e. you can read a book on your Kindle and your iPhone and always pick up exactly where you left off, with all your notes and bookmarks.
Seriously, if you don't think your online purchases or other online behavior are eminently trackable, you're fooling yourself. Buy an e-book from any online vendor, and that purchase will stay in their database for as long as it exists.
I can understand how you dislike this, but it will be increasingly difficult to avoid in the future. It's already almost impossible to avoid getting tracked already. Feel free to be mad, but don't be naïve....