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DRM hits a new low as Amazon hits the delete key

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herneith:
I never agreed with this DRM to start.  On the one hand I can see the publishers wanting to protect the author's copyright etc, but on further thought, it is almost the same as buying a 'physical' book.  Using the argument that the DRM was put in place to prevent piracy of books, whats' to stop someone from lending out their physical books to dozens even hundreds of people?  Libraries anyone?  Thievery is thievery whatever the mode.  If someone wants to steal something, it's obvious they had no intention of purchasing the item in the first place.  My resentment in regards to DRM is that, to my mind, I'm being treated as a potential thief when purchasing an electronic book with vendors who employ this DRM mode.  They are presupposing that I am going to redistribute these books to others for free thereby doing them out of potential profits.  With this logic, I presume everyone whoever lent out a physical book to friends or family are thieves!  The implications of removing books off peoples Kindles without prior notice bodes ill for the future.  What next?  Are these vendors going to start charging people criminally with lending their physical books out?     

wraith808:
Using the argument that the DRM was put in place to prevent piracy of books, whats' to stop someone from lending out their physical books to dozens even hundreds of people?  Libraries anyone?   
-herneith (July 18, 2009, 12:53 PM)
--- End quote ---

Well, you have to buy each book you loan someone, i.e. you can't buy 1984 once and loan it to more than one person- and while he has it you don't.  Digital media doesn't follow the same rules.  DRM as it is currently isn't the answer, but digital rights should be protected in some form or fashion.

Ehtyar:
If they sold something that wasn't theirs to sell, then I'm not sure that anyone can say that it is wrong for the items to be 'returned' and the money paid back to them.
-Dormouse (July 18, 2009, 06:42 AM)
--- End quote ---
Utterly disgusting behavior from Amazon.

[rant]
On the other hand...anyone who bought into Kindle probably agreed to some outrageous TOS that they didn't read or understand and are now being bitten in arse by it. Maybe this will cause people to use some common sense before they buy their next gadget.

Ehtyar.

P.S. STOP BUYING PUBLIC DOMAIN WORKS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! YOU ALREADY PAID FOR PRIVILEGE OF HAVING YOUR KINDLE, DO YOU REALLY NEED TO PAY TO GET FREE STUFF ONTO IT??
[/rant]

Stoic Joker:
Now the thing I find intriguing is that everybody seems to think this kind of behavior on the part of the draconian media copyright types, is new. It isn’t. There was a time back when (before the internet) that anyone with a dual cassette deck rig (like me) could knock off tapes by the dozen, for all their friends. These folks were too difficult to prosecute … however others were not so lucky.

During these arcane (pre-interweb) times I owned a small (dive) biker bar. In said bar, we occasionally had “bands”, which is a term I’m using loosely considering it was typically just some (half-lit) hick with a guitar. The bar legally seated approx 50 people. E.g. we’re not talking about a huge operation here.

Enter BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.). On one fine spring afternoon (hehe) a pair of large dark sedans flew into the parking lot, the doors flew open and the occupants then stormed the building. Two stood watch by the outer doors; one yanked the door open and held it for their “leader” and remained there for the duration of the “visit” while the rest came goose stepping in. They then formed semi-circle around the “leader” which was I’m guessing to be an impressive (and intimidating) “display” of themselves.

They then proceeded to explain that I was to be fined at a rate of $25,000 per person, per song (sound familiar?), if I continued to have live entertainment without an entertainment license. Okay… The license was however $20,000 per year.

So… crucifying little guys that are easy to find is perfectly normal behavior for these “people”. I can testify to that from experience.

Incidentally there was another group of assholes that made the exact same entrance. Pickup trucks flew into the parking lot and a bunch of folks in paramilitary gear jumped out and stormed the building. Two stood watch by the outer doors; one yanked the door open and held it for their “leader” and remained there for the duration of the “visit” while the rest came goose stepping in. They scattered propaganda leaflets everywhere and then joined their “leader” which was I’m guessing to be an impressive (and intimidating) “display” of themselves. Who were these jagoffs? Well we are in the south here, and it was indeed the Klu Klux Klan.

Neither group got what they wanted, but both did leave me glad that I carry a gun.

tinjaw:
You should have called the KKK when the BMI folks were there. They probably would have surrounded the BMI folks and told them to fork over $25,000 each if they wanted to leave the county alive.

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