Forced Software Updates: Leveraging Customer Power

Defenderland · 03-25-2026, 06:56 AM

Forced Software Updates: Leveraging Customer Power

I don't know how it works in the US, but in the EU, I believe that if a product's functionality is significantly altered without your consent, you have the right to withdraw from the purchase contract, i.e., return the device—regardless of the warranty.

Therefore, I think that whenever software is forced upon you and it brings a significant change that you object to, you should withdraw from the purchase contract—no matter how old the device is.

What do you think would happen if this became widespread? How quickly would these forced functional changes stop if customers with their 5-year-old Kindles were to withdraw from the purchase contract and get their money back?

rantanplan · 03-25-2026, 07:02 AM

The biggest hurdle in this case is, that it has to be an advertised feature. AFAIR, Amazon never advertised that you could remove DRM from your ebooks. So Amazon closing kindle loopholes would not warrant a right to withdraw from your contract.

Defenderland · 03-25-2026, 07:14 AM

Sure. But who says its about DRM?

There might be other problems.

For example:
Pictures/graphics can no longer be zoomed...

Or: graphics in documents can also no longer be zoomed, instead a link for the browser opens.

I bought the colorsoft to read web articles with charts...

Defenderland · 03-25-2026, 07:16 AM

OR:
You have to stop reading to download documents now.
Previously: Wi-Fi connection -> automatic document download. Reading uninterrupted.

There might be other problems I don't know about...

03-25-2026, 06:56 AM	#1
Defenderland Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 208 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Colorsoft, PW	Forced Software Updates: Leveraging Customer Power Forced Software Updates: Leveraging Customer Power I don't know how it works in the US, but in the EU, I believe that if a product's functionality is significantly altered without your consent, you have the right to withdraw from the purchase contract, i.e., return the device—regardless of the warranty. Therefore, I think that whenever software is forced upon you and it brings a significant change that you object to, you should withdraw from the purchase contract—no matter how old the device is. What do you think would happen if this became widespread? How quickly would these forced functional changes stop if customers with their 5-year-old Kindles were to withdraw from the purchase contract and get their money back?

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03-25-2026, 07:02 AM	#2
rantanplan Weirdo Posts: 1,063 Karma: 12502580 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Wuppertal, Germany Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2, reMarkable PaperPro	The biggest hurdle in this case is, that it has to be an advertised feature. AFAIR, Amazon never advertised that you could remove DRM from your ebooks. So Amazon closing kindle loopholes would not warrant a right to withdraw from your contract.

03-25-2026, 07:14 AM	#3
Defenderland Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 208 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Colorsoft, PW	Sure. But who says its about DRM? There might be other problems. For example: Pictures/graphics can no longer be zoomed... Or: graphics in documents can also no longer be zoomed, instead a link for the browser opens. I bought the colorsoft to read web articles with charts...

03-25-2026, 07:16 AM	#4
Defenderland Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 208 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Colorsoft, PW	OR: You have to stop reading to download documents now. Previously: Wi-Fi connection -> automatic document download. Reading uninterrupted. There might be other problems I don't know about...

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