Sony acknowleges problem with the Reader's battery indicator

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Nightwing

What is the clock used for any way?

Bookmarks. They have a timestamp.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Nogg

For me, the easy solution would be to just disable the clock entirely, or at least provide the option. I'm not sure what purpose it really even serves. I'd trade it for the longer battery life in a heartbeat.

Ditto.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by stxopher

Yes, but then you bought something else and CONVERTED it to a Sony format so technically they are still correct. The Connect store is the only place you can buy LRF formated books. (Everyplace else you can get LRF format is currently free.)

If you raise that silly little ability to convert books into a LRF format then....er, what was the Connect store for again? Oh yes, I remember: to sell public domain books for profit and make the current publishing "push list" available for full hardback price.

Good point, stxopher, but there's also the minor detail that they (as a big, sue-able corporation) really can't go around suggesting that people break DRM.

While I may agree that because the .LIT DRM disables an accessibility feature (read aloud), and is therefore covered under the DMCA exception, when push comes to shove, a court will have to decide the finality of that question, and even being right can be very expensive in a courtroom when you're a big, sue-able corporation like Sony.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by NatCh

While I may agree that because the .LIT DRM disables an accessibility feature (read aloud), and is therefore covered under the DMCA exception, when push comes to shove, a court will have to decide the finality of that question, and even being right can be very expensive in a courtroom when you're a big, sue-able corporation like Sony.

I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I would imagine that one could well argue that this "exemption" only applies if you have a disability, such as blindness, which makes the book with DRM inaccessible to you. It seems a little unreasonable to claim that one is breaking the DRM because it disables speech output in "Microsoft Reader", only to then transfer the book to a platform with no speech output .

Is there anyone here who actually finds "machine" read books "bearable", by the way? I've tried a couple but can't stand them.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I would imagine that one could well argue that this "exemption" only applies if you have a disability, such as blindness, which makes the book with DRM inaccessible to you. It seems a little unreasonable to claim that one is breaking the DRM because it disables speech output in "Microsoft Reader", only to then transfer the book to a platform with no speech output .

Is there anyone here who actually finds "machine" read books "bearable", by the way? I've tried a couple but can't stand them.

I have heard AT&T Natural Voice and it is lots better then what Microsfot bundles into Windows. It's still not perfect, but whrn it gets words correct, it does sound more natural.

But from what I read, it didn't make a distinction about me with no impairment to reading vs someone who has an impairment. But then, I don't kknow if I read only a shorten summery that left things out.

I know with CDs, I have the right to take a CD I purchased and convert to cassette tape, or rip the music for use on my DAP. So I don't see why I should not be able to take an ebook I purchased in one format and convert it to another format for my own personal use.

Jon

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I have heard AT&T Natural Voice and it is lots better then what Microsfot bundles into Windows. It's still not perfect, but whrn it gets words correct, it does sound more natural.

Thanks - I'll look out for that. I am, as I've mentioned before, a big fan of audio books so I thought that machine-read books might open up a whole new set of books to me. I just can't bear to listen to them, though; at least not in Microsoft Reader, which is the only one I've tried.

I know with CDs, I have the right to take a CD I purchased and convert to cassette tape, or rip the music for use on my DAP. So I don't see why I should not be able to take an ebook I purchased in one format and convert it to another format for my own personal use.

I couldn't agree more. Luckily here in the UK we have no law equivalent to the DCMA, so it's perfectly legal to use any format converter here.

[NatCh]

I'm not disagreeing with the interpretation of the exemption, but the very fact that three of us who basically agree can't specifically agree means that "filthy stinkin' lawyer weasels" could have an absolute field day with it, set themselves up to live like kings for the rest of their lives from the proceeds, and never break a sweat doing it.

I'd think that's the sort of thing that Sony would prefer to avoid volunteering for.

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by NatCh

I'm not disagreeing with the interpretation of the exemption, but the very fact that three of us who basically agree can't specifically agree means that "filthy stinkin' lawyer weasels" could have an absolute field day with it, set themselves up to live like kings for the rest of their lives from the proceeds, and never break a sweat doing it.

I'd think that's the sort of thing that Sony would prefer to avoid volunteering for.

Indeed, Sony isn't going to volunteer this info. Especially when they have a vested interest beyond the obvious lawsuit discussion. The DMCA protects their content as much Microsoft's wonderful .lit format (wonderful because it's hacked, of course ). And certainly Sony has a lot more content to protect, with Sony BMG, the PSP and Playstation2/3 lines all carrying associated content... compared to which the Reader and Connect Books are chicken feed.

I'm only aware of one company that's actively decried DRM, and that's Apple. But they're hip and cool and can get away with it, even while requiring their own... unless you buy EMI stuff.

Oh, and while I'm at it... pielrf now works with CLIT output files! That's either a shameless plug, or me not wanting to be left out!

-Pie

[igorsk]

I'm only aware of one company that's actively decried DRM

Baen?

[Nightwing]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Bookmarks. They have a timestamp.

Interesting.... Tnks!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

Oh, and while I'm at it... pielrf now works with CLIT output files! That's either a shameless plug, or me not wanting to be left out!

-Pie

Does Pielrf work with CLI HTML files with no editing at all?

Originally Posted by NatCh

when push comes to shove, a court will have to decide the finality of that question, and even being right can be very expensive in a courtroom when you're a big, sue-able corporation like Sony.

I'm assuming you mean for whoever would try and sue Sony? It would probably be safe to say that the lowest peon in their legal division can automatically file enough paperwork that would require 25,000 smackers in legalese just to respond to.

The larger the disparity between income levels of the plaintiffs the easier it is to manipulate the complex web of laws. People just don't generally have much luck suing corporations unless they find some way to bring the government into it.

Now if one of the other big boys were to put out a program that circumvented the original DRM so it could be read on a device THEY sold....hoooo, I'd pay to see that. Something like the Kindle reading Connect store books as well as the ones sold by Amazon. Or even better, if Apple were to "leak" a hook for the iPhone that bypassed Mobipocket and BBEB, coincidentally marking up another use for that odd-format PDA they're calling a phone.

(Now if only some bright people from the Sourceforge side of the net would develop a virtual monitor to capture ebook pages automatically and convert them to other formats, the whole DRM thing would be moot. Well, from the viewpoint of most of us. Kinda like DRM on CDs. For most of us it isn't really an issue.)

[WilliamG]

I can confirm (at least on mine and my wife's Readers), that Sony's supposed workaround for USB-charged Readers does not work. The only way I can get my Reader to display the correct battery-charge amount is to soft reset the device EVERY time I charge it. Total annoyance.

[HarryT]

Works fine using the wall charger - as we already knew, of course!

[WilliamG]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Works fine using the wall charger - as we already knew, of course!

Right. I just find it more convenient to use USB. One less AC cord lying around. And right now it's certainly not more convenient because I have to keep soft-resetting the darn thing after USB charging! :behead: