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

[EowynCarter]

Remember me why i never considered the kindle... That and the fact it's not availible in france.

From now on, it is how much I want a Sony 505, and how sorry I am I bought from Amazon.

Well the main source for e-book on sony format is sony's website. -> not availible outside US -> fail !
So, i don't see sony better than amazon there. Then i do like amazon, but as e-books are conserned, they are screwing up.

So i went for the cybook. Mobi, at least, is supported by more than one brand. So your library don't ties you to amazon or sony.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by slayda

And this could be something as simple as changing the PID for your Kindle via Whispernet. Then unless you turn Whispernet on to "accept" the change, you have no way of reading any newly downloaded ebooks because they have a different PID. So when you turn on Wispernet, they "update" your firmware to a new, more crippled version.

New Rule - Whispernet is permanently off on my kindles. If my daughter does need to buy a school book from Amazon, it will be downloaded to my computer and moved via USB. Why should I ever turn on whispernet again?

[nekokami]

Can you suggest any language that could be added to the Amazon TOS that would let you feel comfortable about using Whispernet?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Well the main source for e-book on sony format is sony's website. -> not availible outside US -> fail !

In LRX format yes, but the Sony also does DRM'd ePub and PDF which can be bought at places like Books On Board so it's not quite as 'locked down'.

[radiationman]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Remember me why i never considered the kindle... That and the fact it's not availible in france.


Well the main source for e-book on sony format is sony's website. -> not availible outside US -> fail !
So, i don't see sony better than amazon there. Then i do like amazon, but as e-books are conserned, they are screwing up.

But there are other options for the Sony including Fictionwise and Books On Board.

However your issues have more to do with the difficulties of International Copyrights and International Distribution. Your issues are the same as why I can't watch BBC's iPlayer here and you can't watch hulu there. The content providers are only allowing/licensing their content locally and not globally. That's not necessarily Amazon's or Sony's fault...

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Ea

with the standard mobi support (it also supports DRM and thus library books).

That does not follow logically since you need some support for current date for it to work with library books. I also thought that this did not work yet with the Bebook but maybe I misremember.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Can you suggest any language that could be added to the Amazon TOS that would let you feel comfortable about using Whispernet?

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Amazon will keep their big fat noses out of my kindle!

I could (reluctantly) accept Amazon monitoring what I did to books I purchased from them.* But the possibility that they are going to look at the books I bought from other retailers or the library books I have on my kindle is unacceptable. This is like Blockbuster putting a trojan in my DVD that allows them to tell I was watching porn (I wasn't, I swear!) last night.

*If I were the lawyer advising Amazon, I would insist on this. Also making sure I hadn't done anything to the kindle software.

[DaleDe]

The easiest fix from Amazon would be an apology for not attempting to work this out without threats of legal action and to simply add MOBI support for DRM to the Kindle. Then there would be no problem using library books and the product would be open to books for sale by other dealers. If they still insist on hiding the PID then they could provide a method via their DRM tools to provide this to the vendors using overdrive and mobi drm tools. After all they own Mobi and supporting mobi still makes money for them.

Dale

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

The easiest fix from Amazon would be an apology for not attempting to work this out without threats of legal action and to simply add MOBI support for DRM to the Kindle.

Maybe they have to increase the price of the Kindle if they do that?

I think MobiPocket is an old and technically bad format for today's hardware. So it is perfectly understanding that they do not want to sell MobiPocket books since then they do not have the option of improving the format.

What they should have done was supporting ePub.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by rhadin

My problem with Amazon is more systemic and much broader than the problem under discussion. For me to start patronizing Amazon, there would need to be several changes, including these: the Amazon ebookstore would need to be open to everyone regardless of device (i.e., adoption of the ePub standard) and Amazon would have to stop demanding that authors and publishers use only Amazon's POD publishing services. i would consider those two steps a very favorable start and would then add Amazon to my buy list.

Amazon doesn't demand authors and publishers use their POD system. If you want one click ordering you have to either use their POD or give them 5 copies to keep in stock so they can send them out quickly. I think that's pretty reasonable.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by Elsi

Does the Sony store sell ePub books to owners of devices other than the Sony reader?

No, the Sony store does not. But the Sony Reader does natively read ePub, which means that I can go to other bookstores and buy ePub format books from them. I have a choice of booksellers.

[lilac_jive]

Elsi- You can actually buy Sony ebooks without a Reader. Of course, you can only read them on the Sony and your computer.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Can you suggest any language that could be added to the Amazon TOS that would let you feel comfortable about using Whispernet?

To answer your previous question about the takedown & Amazon's getting my business back, it would (as a minimum) require a complete reversal of their takedown as well as acknowledgement that they were wrong in the first place to issue the takedown.

On this question;

1) They would have to change their policy of "pushing" updates without notification at least and preferably only after asking permission. Of course many people might prefer that it be pushed and if they chose that as an option, it would be fine but I don't trust them that much.

2) Again, they must have my permission to "pull" data from my Kindle anmd notify me prior to doing so with complete explanation of what they will pull and why. This includes log files and in fact they should very explicitely explain what "exactly" is included in any files and make them easily viewable & editable (at least to the point of deleting any or all entries that I may not wish to share) by the owner whether or not I grant permission for them to pull the files. All because they have taight me to not trust them.

3) The only files that they should ever "push" automatically should be my purchases. Have you gotten the idea yet that I don't trust them?

This is really much more than "language". It's a complete change in what I perceive as their policy in customer relations.

[Moejoe]

Just found these amazing new details on Amazon's Kindle 3

PR blurb leaked from the secret Amazon labs, where all the stupid decisions are made:

Prototype

We've done away with messy buttons, plastic casing and whispernet, in favor of something just as useful. Introducing the fabulous Amazon Brick-With-A-Note-Attached. It has all the functionality of the Kindle 2 and then some! Similar to our Kindle 2 you cannot buy or loan anything from anyone other than us, EVER!!!. Our new DRM scheme (Dangerous Removal Men) will guarantee that we, Amazon, can reign in any nasty persons who try to not buy from us. If you're caught using the Brick-With-A-Note-Attached with anything other than sanctioned Amazon material, we'll send round the DRM to break your fingers and poke you in the eyes, so you won't be doing it again.

The Amazon Brick-With-A-Note-Attached is environmentally friendly, requires no peripheral power adapters and can be used (if you buy enough) to build your own house!

Life couldn't be simpler with the Amazon Brick-With-A-Note-Attached. Want to read a book? Simply tear out each individual page from a book you have already purchased from us, Amazon, and nobody else, then affix it to the device. It's just as easy and flexible to use as the Kindle 2!

Suggested retail price: $359 plus your individual rights (30 day no-money back guarantee)

Amazon - because we care nothing about reading!

[rhk]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I see a lot of people question whether library useage is really widespread. I, for one, was seriously thinking of switching to a Sony 505 in order to get library books. In this economy, shelling out $400 for an ereader is not an easy decision - to then be told you have to BUY books instead of getting them from the LIBRARY is just too much.

And I did buy books from sources other than Amazon because they had lower prices. Not frequently, but a couple times. What this is doing is putting the kindle even further out of reach for most people. I intend to fill my kindle with free books from the kindle store and buy a Sony in order to read library books. I was looking at one at Target last night, but all they had was silver. Of course, when the next Stephen King comes out, I will buy it from a source other than Amazon.

For us library users, switching to ebooks was a big decision. If we are being asked to end useage of the library and spend money on all our reading material, that bodes ill for the library and for ebooks. This just might be the end of ebooks.

I agree with you.

Now that I live in an area that I am able to order and receive within a reasonable amount of time just about any pbook I like from our public library, I don't feel the need to purchase books. If I happen to be somewhere and see I book I really want and haven't read yet, I will buy it, but usually it's around 20 or so books a year.

I check out around 300 per year from the library. I can't justify spending that much on books. I was hoping to continue to check out books (now ebooks) for the most part and supplement with purchasing from Amazon.

This is really due to the fact that we're going to Switzerland for 2-3 years and the cost of books in English there is too high for me to read the amounts I like to. Our library here has a good selection (not great, but good!) of ebooks I like to read so I figured I'd get an ebook reader and continue to use the library.

I only have the Kindle PID and download the books to read on the Kindle. If that goes away, I've lost the point in having the Kindle.