Amazon Uses DMCA To Try To Block Other Ebooks From Getting On Your Kindle
from the joining-the-dark-side dept
Slashdot points us to the rather unfortunate news that Amazon has sent a DMCA takedown notice to MobileRead, concerning a link that site had to a small piece of software that would allow ebooks purchased elsewhere (other than Amazon) to work on the Kindle. There are a number of issues here, all of which seem troubling.First, MobileRead never hosted the software in question, but merely had links to the tool and some instructions. Such a takedown is only supposed to be used for sites that actually have the infringing material. However, thanks to the wonderful chilling effects of the DMCA, MobileRead removed the links.
Second, it's not at all clear how this script violates the DMCA. It doesn't remove copy protection at all. It just serves to open up the device for other eBooks to be used on the device. All too often we've been seeing the DMCA used in cases like this, where companies are treating the DMCA's anti-circumvention clauses to mean that they can stop just about any script they don't like from being available. This is clearly not what the DMCA was intended to do.
Third, the script was useful for allowing legally obtained ebooks from other stores to be read on the device. In other words, it was not a tool for copyright infringement, but for reading legally obtained works. This is a massive problem with the DMCA's anti-circumvention clause: it makes circumvention itself illegal, even if the circumvention is used for non-infringing purposes.
Fourth, Amazon's decision to send a DMCA takedown, in light of all of the above, is bothersome. One would hope that a company like Amazon wouldn't be quite so aggressive in trying to block out competition, in such ways -- especially to the extent of abusing copyright law. There have been a bunch of lawsuits in the past that have pretty much all said using the DMCA solely for anti-competitive purposes is not a legitimate use of the DMCA -- hopefully, someone can send Amazon's lawyers the various cases to make it clear to them that they're on the wrong side of the law here.
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Filed Under: chilling effects, copyright, dmca, ebooks, kindle, mobileread
Companies: amazon
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Self Defeating Business Practice
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Like I needed another ...
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Re: Like I needed another ...
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Re: Re: Like I needed another ...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Like I needed another ...
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Re: Re: Like I needed another ...
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Re: Re: Re: Like I needed another ...
i've never tried it...
joking aside, if someone limits on the capabilities of new technology, the people WILL find a workaround...even if it's illegal...
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Like I needed another ...
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nuff' said!
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Im confused
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Re: Im confused
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Re: Re: Im confused
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Re: Re: Im confused
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My E-mail to Amazon's Customer Service Dept.
I really wanted a Kindle because I travel alot. My hubbie was going to get me a Kindle for Mom's Day in May.
Now I don't want one because you guys are behaving in a really shitty way. Not only do I disagree with your actions against MobileRead, but it shows me how you are going to act in the future. If you want me to buy your products, then compete for my business by making yours the best. This is how to make happy customers. Your current actions make pissed-off people who don't want to be customers.
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Re: My E-mail to Amazon's Customer Service Dept.
That is two of us who will refuse to get one for Mother's Day.
How many do we represent?
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Re: My E-mail to Amazon's Customer Service Dept.
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Brilliant!
1) Make a neat device that everyone would love to have
2) Price said device astronomically for what it offers
3) Build-in the ability to ONLY use YOUR proprietary products
4) Sue/Use the law to fight ANYONE who tries to improve it
5) Severely limit your potential market due to #2, #3 and #4
6) PROFIT!
Yes, profit. Where is that going to come from again? Instead of selling a device that a lot of people could use, thus improving the market penetration of it, you severely restrict the potential market with these bonehead, Sony-like moves. Where is the Amazon that used to offer great service, TONS of product, and cut-rate prices, all in an effort to gain marketshare in an effort to become #1 at what they do? Whats that? The beancounters and lawyers got involved? OH I see, gotcha. Been nice knowing you Amazon. Maybe someone else will come along now and continue what you started and do it better.
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Re: Brilliant!
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Re: Re: Brilliant!
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If I buy an ebook reader....
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Re: If I buy an ebook reader....
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Re: If I buy an ebook reader....
I didn't forget that quick, nice try!
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Re: Re: If I buy an ebook reader....
They are so screwed as far as I am concerned.
So is EA Games...
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Re: If I buy an ebook reader....
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Another reason to have an iPhone
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Re: Another reason to have an iPhone
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Re: Re: Another reason to have an iPhone
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Are You Renting or Buying the Kindle?
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isn't this the anti-circumvention clause?
i don't agree with the clause (or anything else in the DMCA other than safe harbor provisions) in the slightest, but i think that anti-circumvention covers this.
i say that based on this excerpt:
Here's how anticircumvention works: if you put a lock -- an access control -- around a copyrighted work, it is illegal to break that lock. It's illegal to make a tool that breaks that lock. It's illegal to tell someone how to make that tool. One court even held it illegal to tell someone where she can find out how to make that tool.
from this paper:
http://www.craphound.com/msftdrm.txt
this is reason number 29,848,353,455 to do away with the DMCA.
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Re: isn't this the anti-circumvention clause?
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Re: Re: isn't this the anti-circumvention clause?
I believe tamporing with (altering) the software on the device would be issue here.
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Re: Re: Re: isn't this the anti-circumvention clause?
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Re: isn't this the anti-circumvention clause?
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DCMA does not apply in my country! Saved, well, just because I CAN ! LoooooooL
Did the USA Government not learn _A THING_ when Obama & co used background Music tracks in their political broadcasts?!
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I don't know why but Third point reminds me of Big Blue case
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You are WRONG!
As we say in the computer software business: Working as intended.
To believe otherwise is to buy into the propoganda used by congress and the IP gluttons to prevent armed citizens from storming the capital and burning it to the ground to start a new government that actually cares about its citizens.
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Re: You are WRONG!
I tend to agree, the bill always seemed designed almost specifically for this purpose (this was certainly one of the known potential outcomes during debate). I also come from the software development business though, so maybe thats why we share a similar perspective. I think however this "polly anna-ish" tendancy to take legislators and lobbyists at their word (even when, as in this case, the truth is in writing, recorded as a law and readable by anyone) doesnt serve Techdirt, or the rest of America very well.
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Sigh...
"A quick backgrounder: kindlepid.py is a small Python script allowing you to derive a Mobipocket-compatible personal identifier (PID) for your Kindle reader. This PID in itself has nothing at all to do with reading any copyrighted content. It is only used to make legitimate e-book purchases at stores other than Amazon's."
This has nothing to do with what formats you can and can't read on the Kindle. You *can* still read mobi format on the Kindle, Amazon designed it to read that format natively. If you have books in that format, you can drop them directly on the Kindle.
It sounds like what this script did is "hacked" the Kindle to read the *DRM FROM OTHER STORES*. That's a big difference. I suspect Amazon doesn't care if you convert the document to their format (through various means, they even provide a way to do it themselves).
It sounds like Amazon doesn't want their reader itself to be violating DRM protection, even if it was the end user that modified it.
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Re: Sigh...
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time to buy the dev kit
If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself. That's becoming the only way to get consumer electronics that really do what you want.
/hack the planet
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Shamazon
Those monopolistic bastards will have to pry my Calibre-loving Sony Reader from my cold dead hands.
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Re: Shamazon
I find it amusing that you're abusing Amazon for their DRM and lock-in practices while pledging your mortal allegiance to SONY. Amazon is just following in Sony's footsteps.
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Just because we want you to buy our books with our software, and retain the right to see what you have on our reader whenever we want, doesn't give you the right to slam our business model.
Maybe you'd like us to remind you that even when you cross the US Border the border guards have the right (and soon the obligation) to search your Kindle's for unauthorized content, and then we can come after you to help our economy even more.
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Vice Versa
So yeah, this is pretty much exactly what the DMCA had in mind.
There are no problems putting non-DRM'd documents in Mobipocket (the Kindle's native format) on a Kindle.
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Re: Vice Versa
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dang
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The anti-amazon
They sell multi format drm free ebooks at low costs. The books are written by indie authors and they're readable on any Ebook reading device.
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returning my Kindle 2
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This begs the question "What was the DMCA intended to do?"
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Re:
As you well know, the intention was to prevent copyright infringement of online content... not to block competitive services.
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This is why I won't buy a Kindle
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