Amazon uses DMCA to restrict where you can buy e-books

[tompe]

Originally Posted by PGP_Protector

Wouldn't the checksum have to run on the kindel though ?
So the new update could still compute the same checksum even with a modified version of the book

True. That might be solved by emailing the check sum when you buy a book. Then you have something to check against if you suspect foul play.

[PGP_Protector]

Originally Posted by tompe

I am guessing you missed the irony

Wouldn't be the first time

[TadW]

In the notice one of the URLs refers to "KindlePID iPhone and iPod Touch on Windows".

A simple Google gives a cached version of this URL.

[thyarcher]

Originally Posted by Alisa

Someone also posted on the Kindle forum the other day that the Ebay seller they bought their used Kindle 1 from had left several Amazon books in the memory. They weren't removed when they registered. This to me says they're not paying any attention to what we have loaded. This may change.

As I understand their licensing of the books, it seems that with a single account, you can have up to 6 reading devices locked to a single book, and un-registering the Kindle doesn't give back one of the locks for the book. Essentially they have created a system where you have paid for 6 node-locked (where a Kindle or iPhone equates a node) copies of the ebook. Assuming you didn't break the DRM on the ebooks, you should be within both your legal and moral right to sell a Kindle with Amazon purchased ebooks already installed since they are Amazon licensed for that device.

Interestingly, this also gives you back your right of first-sale for the ebooks, but from a device package level. You should be able to ebay the Kindle with a number of books from your Amazon library to recoup your investment of the ebooks. A question for Amazon would be, if you exhausted your 6 copies of the book, can you buy it again under the same account to give you another 6 digital copies?

[Boethius]

I was hoping to get an ebook reader this spring as squinting at the Windows Mobile screen is becoming tiresome. I have some important and expensive reference books purchased at MobiPocket.com. The Kindle store doesn't have them, and if I have no way to move these over to the Kindle 2, for sure I am an ex-prospective customer.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Boethius

I was hoping to get an ebook reader this spring as squinting at the Windows Mobile screen is becoming tiresome. I have some important and expensive reference books purchased at MobiPocket.com. The Kindle store doesn't have them, and if I have no way to move these over to the Kindle 2, for sure I am an ex-prospective customer.

There would normally be two ways of getting Mobi DRM documents on a Kindle: with DRM in tact and without. To get the books on without stripping the DRM, you would need to register the PID of the Kindle to the store and re-download a copy authorized for the Kindle. You would use the kindlepid script to generate the PID from your serial number and the kindlefix script to make it readable on the Kindle. In your case, this wouldn't work since Mobipocket.com will not accept a PID from the Kindle.

The other way is to strip the DRM off. This would entail using a tool called mobidedrm and the PID you had registered at Mobipocket.com. We cannot give you specific instructions on this forum on how to do this or where to get the scripts. Removing the DRM is of questionable legality in most places and probably violates your user agreement with Mobipocket.com.

What people are concerned about now is whether Amazon will ever bust people for having deDRMed books on their Kindle. We know their Terms of Service allow them to look at the content stored on the Kindle but it doesn't seem they are doing that now except for the cases they spell out explicitly like backing up your bookmarks, clippings and annotations.

[slayda]

Amazon's DMCA decision reminds me of the Taco Bell from years ago but instead of the Chihuahua saying, "Here leezard, leezard." Amazon is saying, "Here pirate, pirate."

[jakeluck]

Originally Posted by Alisa

What people are concerned about now is whether Amazon will ever bust people for having deDRMed books on their Kindle. We know their Terms of Service allow them to look at the content stored on the Kindle but it doesn't seem they are doing that now except for the cases they spell out explicitly like backing up your bookmarks, clippings and annotations.

I am looking at the service agreement: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...44530&#content

full of scary stuff:
"Changes to Service. Changes to Service. Amazon reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time, and Amazon will not be liable to you should it exercise such right."

"Use of the Device Software. You may use the Device Software only on the Device. You may not separate any individual component of the Device Software for use on another device or computer, may not transfer it for use on another device or use it, or any portion of it, over a network and may not sell, rent, lease, lend, distribute or sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Software in whole or in part."


However, it appears to state that it reserves the rights NOT to read your content, only the interaction data.

"Information Received. The Device Software will provide Amazon with data about your Device and its interaction with the Service (such as available memory, up-time, log files and signal strength) and information related to the content on your Device and your use of it (such as automatic bookmarking of the last page read and content deletions from the Device). Annotations, bookmarks, notes, highlights, or similar markings you make in your Device are backed up through the Service. Information we receive is subject to the Amazon.com Privacy Notice."

Would someone help to clarify?
(no kindle for me in the future, Sony, it is time to give us a PRS-1000 already)

[Daithi]

It's too bad the publishers can't get their acts together.

The main reason people go to Amazon for books is because they don't want to go to 50 different sites looking for a book. So imagine if the biggest dozen or so publishers got together and formed a not-for-profit organization (open to all publishers) that was designed to provide a common web portal. The publishers could eliminate Amazon as a middleman and thus sell directly to the public.

When it comes to ebooks the publishers would undoubtbly support open standards such as ePub, which are not tied to any particular ereader manufacturer. I imagine this would be much preferred to the publishers funding and producing their own ereader.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Daithi

It's too bad the publishers can't get their acts together.

The main reason people go to Amazon for books is because they don't want to go to 50 different sites looking for a book. So imagine if the biggest dozen or so publishers got together and formed a not-for-profit organization (open to all publishers) that was designed to provide a common web portal. The publishers could eliminate Amazon as a middleman and thus sell directly to the public.

When it comes to ebooks the publishers would undoubtbly support open standards such as ePub, which are not tied to any particular ereader manufacturer. I imagine this would be much preferred to the publishers funding and producing their own ereader.

That's a great idea, I only wish they'd put something like this into place. They'd make money hand over fist, so to say. But, alas, a lot of these companies just don't seem to get what they're doing when it comes to the digital age.

[larisa0001]

Incidentally, are there any e-reader devices that run on open source software?

[crackedlens]

Originally Posted by jakeluck

I am looking at the service agreement: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...44530&#content

full of scary stuff:
"Changes to Service. Changes to Service. Amazon reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time, and Amazon will not be liable to you should it exercise such right."

"Use of the Device Software. You may use the Device Software only on the Device. You may not separate any individual component of the Device Software for use on another device or computer, may not transfer it for use on another device or use it, or any portion of it, over a network and may not sell, rent, lease, lend, distribute or sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Software in whole or in part."


However, it appears to state that it reserves the rights NOT to read your content, only the interaction data.

"Information Received. The Device Software will provide Amazon with data about your Device and its interaction with the Service (such as available memory, up-time, log files and signal strength) and information related to the content on your Device and your use of it (such as automatic bookmarking of the last page read and content deletions from the Device). Annotations, bookmarks, notes, highlights, or similar markings you make in your Device are backed up through the Service. Information we receive is subject to the Amazon.com Privacy Notice."

Would someone help to clarify?
(no kindle for me in the future, Sony, it is time to give us a PRS-1000 already)

I think this is what Amazon is relying on:

"No Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, Disassembly or Circumvention. You may not, and you will not encourage, assist or authorize any other person to, modify, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Device or the Software, whether in whole or in part, create any derivative works from or of the Software, or bypass, modify, defeat or tamper with or circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Device or Software or any mechanisms operatively linked to the Software, including, but not limited to, augmenting or substituting any digital rights management functionality of the Device or Software."

[tompe]

Originally Posted by larisa0001

Incidentally, are there any e-reader devices that run on open source software?

Devices like Bebook that can run OpenInkpot.

[jsuplido]

I was beginning to like Kindle for iPhone and *this* happens. Back to eReader and Fictionwise (Barnes and Noble) then!

Alex, you have a terrific community backing you up. Smile!

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by larisa0001

Incidentally, are there any e-reader devices that run on open source software?

All current E-Ink readers run on Linux.