27 October 2013

Undownloading: Further Proof Those eBooks You Paid For Really Aren't Yours

Over the years Techdirt has run a number of stories that make it abundantly clear that you don't own those ebooks you paid for. But in case you were still clinging to some faint hope to the contrary, here's a cautionary tale from Jim O'Donnell, a classics professor at Georgetown University. He is currently attending the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Singapore, and naturally wanted to bring along some serious reading material; ebooks on an iPad seemed the perfect way to do that. As O'Donnell explains: 

On Techdirt.

2 comments:

Saffer said...

Deja Vu: Google setting us up for an Amazon Swindle via the Play Store :(

New PlayStore TOS:
... Google may remove from your Device or cease providing you with access to certain Products that you have purchased... Et.al.

Reference:
https://play.google.com/intl/en-za_za/about/play-terms.html

Just did a websearch (right now I'm too pissed off to use the verb "google" ) on RMS' comments on the Swindle and found your blog entry: opendotdotdot.blogspot.com/2009/04/rms-on-amazons-swindle.html?m=1

I'm in South Africa and I'm surprised at this DRM restriction, it removes our rights to fair dealing and established law regarding the purchase and use of goods and services, much in the same way as Amazon does.

SA consumers take a critical view of any DRM, particularly from the time onwards of nonsensical Region Control restrictions when DVD became popular. Nobody ever buys a region locked DVD player here.

I think Google should respect the fact that our devices are ours to use as we wish, this issue is not about security or propagation of malicious code into the cyber ecosystem, but a backdoored attempt to strip away the users rights.

Shame on you, Google! And you supposedly do no evil?

Glyn Moody said...

yes, you're right, they're acting just like amazon here. good to hear people are aware of these issues in South Africa.

As it happens, I've just written a piece for techdirt about south africa leading the way on bilateral investment treaties, too...