Is Amazon Killing Books?

December 4th, 2007 | jchaager | commentary

If you listen to technology news much, or if you happen to live in Seattle, you might have heard about this new fangeled device called the Kindle. Amazon claims that it does for books what the iPod and digital audio players did for music. Yet, amid all the hype, there is a growing backlash.

Many critics have panned the device for its form factor, design, and user interface. And rightly so. The beige plastic harkens back to the good old days of IBM PCs and MS DOS. Nothing like the sleek, sexy lines of an iPhone or Zune. But all those issues can be corrected by a face lift in version 2.0.

What has far more people up in arms, and what cannot be so easily corrected is the draconian measures Amazon has engaged to lock you in and strip you of your rights. Amazon claims that reading books on your Kindle is just like reading real books. Many people disagree citing form factor and page layout issues. But the real difference is what you can do with those books when your through with them.

If you visit your local bookstore to buy a copy of the latest Harry Potter book, you have purchased certain rights. This includes the right to read the book and take it wherever you go. It includes the right to scribble notes in the margin, highlight important sections, and cut pages out if you don’t like what they say. All these rights are included when you purchase books for your Kindle.

What is not included however is more important. When you tire of your Harry Potter book, you could sell it on eBay. Or you could give it to a friend to read. You can drop it off at a book exchange. None of these rights are preserved with the Kindle. The Terms of Service dictate that you cannot resell, rent, or loan the e-book to anyone else. And to make sure that you don’t, they have included digital rights management (DRM) on the e-books to stop you.

With restrictions like that, how can Amazon claim that reading books on the Kindle is just like reading real books. Not convinced that this is the end of the world? Check out this post.

Is Amazon trying to usurp your rights? Or are they simply trying to force you into a mode that will maximize their profit? Is there really a difference?