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Old 08-04-2009, 03:56 PM   #1
Susie
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Default Amazon Being Sued

Here's an article about Amazon deleting 1984 from Kindles, and a lawsuit filed because of it. http://www.charter.net/news/read.php...&cps=0&lang=en

   
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Old 08-04-2009, 04:47 PM   #2
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Yes...I read about that in The Washington Post a short time ago...

Yet one more reason that I will probably never buy a Kindle...I'm not interested in someone else removing/deleting a book I own--I can do my own deleting thankyouverymuch...'-}}

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Old 08-05-2009, 07:23 AM   #3
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Yes...I read about that in The Washington Post a short time ago...

Yet one more reason that I will probably never buy a Kindle...I'm not interested in someone else removing/deleting a book I own--I can do my own deleting thankyouverymuch...'-}}

Terrie
I read about it a couple of days ago, and they do appear to have handled the problem rather badly. But I also gather that it's a bit like buying stolen property. You don't get to keep it just because you didn't know it was stolen.

So the bigger problem isn't that Amazon can remove the book from your possession, but that now, with digital "copies," you have to wonder if anyone had the right to sell it to you in the first place. We don't tend to worry so much if we buy the physical book.

I guess the lesson is: buy it as soon as it's offered and read it quick<BG>

   
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Old 08-05-2009, 07:37 AM   #4
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I guess the lesson is: buy it as soon as it's offered and read it quick<BG>
And keep a copy of every one of them on your hard drive so you can reinstall them (until the next time Amazon notices).

   
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Old 08-05-2009, 07:47 AM   #5
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My thoughts exactly!

   
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Old 08-05-2009, 09:00 AM   #6
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cristen: I guess the lesson is: buy it as soon as it's offered and read it quick<BG>
LOL!!!

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Old 08-05-2009, 12:20 PM   #7
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Here's an article about Amazon deleting 1984 from Kindles, and a lawsuit filed because of it.
I guess Big Brother really is watching!

Apparently all Kindle books are equal, but some are a little more equal than others.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

   
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Old 08-05-2009, 02:57 PM   #8
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Apparently all Kindle books are equal, but some are a little more equal than others
You shouldn't be surprised that 1984 is still in copyright: it was first published in 1948. But 17-year old school pupils could not be knowledgeable about copyright law, so it could be argued that Amazon was amazing stupid in trying to charge for something that it, at least, should have known it wasn't entitled to republish.

   
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Old 08-06-2009, 07:30 AM   #9
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Howard:
You shouldn't be surprised that 1984 is still in copyright: it was first published in 1948. But 17-year old school pupils could not be knowledgeable about copyright law, so it could be argued that Amazon was amazing stupid in trying to charge for something that it, at least, should have known it wasn't entitled to republish.
Looked at another way, Amazon isn't the publisher, they're the bookstore that sells the publisher's output. They provide the (electronic) shelf space and collect the money.

They may or may not provide conversion services (turning the publisher's files into Kindle format), but in the end, it's the publisher who brings Amazon the work that should be responsible for ensuring that they have the right to do so, no?

I suppose your answer to that will depend on whether you're a lawyer or not and on whether Amazon or the publisher has the deeper pockets.

And stepping off to one side and having another look ... I wonder what Amazon did when they got caught with the publisher's hand in the cookie jar. For example, mightn't they have offered the copyright holder all the proceeds from Kindle sales of the books in question? If the offerer'd been made and accepted, Amazon wouldn't have needed or wanted to erase the books from their customers' Kindles.

And yet another aside ... Does anyone know if Amazon erases only the copies that they've sold or are they "retracting" copies from other sources as well? Orwell's 1984 was available from sites other than Amazon.

   
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Old 08-06-2009, 09:04 AM   #10
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Does anyone know if Amazon erases only the copies that they've sold or are they "retracting" copies from other sources as well? Orwell's 1984 was available from sites other than Amazon.
Amazon sells several editions of 1984, including several for for the Kindle. Most are $9.99; one is $2.99.

I believe the edition in question was from a third party, and the publisher had not paid royalties to the copyright-holder.

   
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