MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Kindle user says Amazon remotely wiped her whole library [UPDATED: see first post]

Anjohl · 10-26-2012, 01:26 AM

This is why the current consumer group demands being put forth to Valve's Steam Digital Videogame Store are so important. As societies, we need the courts to recognize that a digital purchase, IE, a license to consume a piece of media must retain the same characteristics as a physical purchase.

This means that any purchased licenses must be entitled to:
1) Resale
2) Permanent ownership apart from any EULA or TOS
3) Reasonable notice given to owner if the parent account is to be closed to enable timely downloading/archival.

I have just recently gotten into ebooks via my Kobo Touch, and this makes me glad I stayed away from Amazon. The gall of a company to REMOVE paid for product is appalling.

I don't mean to soap box here (well, I kindof do...), but this era we live in, where consumers are already hesitant to switch to digital consumption is the make or break for these content publishers. The videogame industry is lamenting digital piracy, the music industry has been completely warped by it. If the book publishers want the majority of consumers to be "good citizens" and simply browse for their books via wifi instead of a box store, they need to guarantee these kinds of rights for consumers NOW, and that way, hopefully the extra gross profit margin from the savings on production and distribution will make up for the small percentage who will pirate no matter what.

The publishers need to implement consumers rights themselves, though it might seem counterproductive, and that way the market can flourish. If consumers do not trust a market, it will die.

Additionally, the girl who lost her amazon account still has ownership of the licenses to each piece of content removed. IF she so desires, she can download copies of these books through *other* means and not face any charges or civil liabilities.

10-26-2012, 01:26 AM	#142
Anjohl Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 559568 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Touch	This is why the current consumer group demands being put forth to Valve's Steam Digital Videogame Store are so important. As societies, we need the courts to recognize that a digital purchase, IE, a license to consume a piece of media must retain the same characteristics as a physical purchase. This means that any purchased licenses must be entitled to: 1) Resale 2) Permanent ownership apart from any EULA or TOS 3) Reasonable notice given to owner if the parent account is to be closed to enable timely downloading/archival. I have just recently gotten into ebooks via my Kobo Touch, and this makes me glad I stayed away from Amazon. The gall of a company to REMOVE paid for product is appalling. I don't mean to soap box here (well, I kindof do...), but this era we live in, where consumers are already hesitant to switch to digital consumption is the make or break for these content publishers. The videogame industry is lamenting digital piracy, the music industry has been completely warped by it. If the book publishers want the majority of consumers to be "good citizens" and simply browse for their books via wifi instead of a box store, they need to guarantee these kinds of rights for consumers NOW, and that way, hopefully the extra gross profit margin from the savings on production and distribution will make up for the small percentage who will pirate no matter what. The publishers need to implement consumers rights themselves, though it might seem counterproductive, and that way the market can flourish. If consumers do not trust a market, it will die. Additionally, the girl who lost her amazon account still has ownership of the licenses to each piece of content removed. IF she so desires, she can download copies of these books through other means and not face any charges or civil liabilities.