News Amazon Remotely Deletes Purchased Copies of 1984 & Animal Farm From 1000s of Kindles

teedubya · 07-17-2009, 06:54 PM

Amazon basically guaranteed that I'll never buy a Kindle last night by bending to the wishes of a publisher and deleting every single legitimately-purchased copy of 1984 and Animal Farm from all Kindles remotely. Ridiculous.

Apparently, the publisher changed its mind about having electronic versions of Orwell's books. So Amazon removed them from the store and in the process remotely deleted the books from the Kindles of anyone who bought them, depositing a refund in their account in the process.

If there's a better argument for dead-tree books and against the Kindle, I'd like to know what it is. If you can't be sure that you own something after you pay for it, what's the point? How many people were halfway through these books that they paid for and now are shit out of luck?

Amazon says this is a "rarity," but even once is too many times for bullshit like this to happen. Once I buy a book from Barnes & Noble, I never have to worry about them breaking into my house and taking it back, leaving me a pile of singles on my nightstand.

And of course the fact that this happened to 1984, of all books, makes this even more surreal. [NY Times via Boing Boing]

teedubya · 07-17-2009, 06:54 PM

This has enough IRONY to choke a horse.

underEJ · 07-17-2009, 07:33 PM

I still love my kindle even though I have major reservations about the process of digital rights management and situations like this. I hope consumer activism will shape this into something great. The demand for a standard format is already getting notice (not fast enough, I know) but I like to be optimistic.

I use it for more than downloading books too. I am in a writing group and we can email pdfs to each other's kindles and we come better prepared for our rare in person meetings. The pdfs don't read as easy as the ebooks, but it is good enough.

There is plenty to recommend even with the major issues of digital rights and unit price. I think with a better unit price, more customers will add more pressure and then we will really see some progress.

That being said, they should send complimentary print editions to every customer that bought the ebook in addition to the refund.

sedated · 07-17-2009, 08:23 PM

wtf is a kindle?

**Bwana** · 07-17-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedated

wtf is a kindle?

This

**Bugeater** · 07-17-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana

This

The thing pictured in the OP, you can download books to read on it.

**Bwana** · 07-17-2009, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugeater

The thing pictured in the OP, you can download books to read on it.

Heh, I must of still been living in a cave when it came out. I had no fricken clue about it.

**luv** · 07-17-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bwana

Heh, I must of still been living in a cave when it came out. I had no fricken clue about it.

Me too. I still buy the books that you put on a literal bookshelf.

**luv** · 07-17-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ari Chi3fs

How many people were halfway through these books that they paid for and now are shit out of luck?

Ummm, they could take the money they were refunded and go buy a regular copy of the book.

FAX · 07-17-2009, 08:28 PM

Amazing. You have to wonder if this wasn't some kind of publicity stunt by the publisher.

FAX

**Lzen** · 07-17-2009, 10:31 PM

That is messed up. They shouldn't have deleted them from people that already bought them. I mean, WTF? You already paid for it.

And 1984 of all books.

Irony at its best.

sedated · 07-17-2009, 10:48 PM

books? I have an 32 inch electronic picture-book in my living room

**luv** · 07-17-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedated

books? I have an 32 inch electronic picture-book in my living room

I have a 37". Mine's bigger than yours.

**Lzen** · 07-17-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedated

books? I have an 32 inch electronic picture-book in my living room

Heathen!

**Lzen** · 07-17-2009, 10:54 PM

That Kindle is actually a really cool device. But I believe it costs about $300.

07-17-2009, 06:54 PM	Topic Starter
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $8993042	Amazon Remotely Deletes Purchased Copies of 1984 & Animal Farm From 1000s of Kindles Amazon basically guaranteed that I'll never buy a Kindle last night by bending to the wishes of a publisher and deleting every single legitimately-purchased copy of 1984 and Animal Farm from all Kindles remotely. Ridiculous. Apparently, the publisher changed its mind about having electronic versions of Orwell's books. So Amazon removed them from the store and in the process remotely deleted the books from the Kindles of anyone who bought them, depositing a refund in their account in the process. If there's a better argument for dead-tree books and against the Kindle, I'd like to know what it is. If you can't be sure that you own something after you pay for it, what's the point? How many people were halfway through these books that they paid for and now are shit out of luck? Amazon says this is a "rarity," but even once is too many times for bullshit like this to happen. Once I buy a book from Barnes & Noble, I never have to worry about them breaking into my house and taking it back, leaving me a pile of singles on my nightstand. And of course the fact that this happened to 1984, of all books, makes this even more surreal. [NY Times via Boing Boing]
Posts: 36,832

07-17-2009, 06:54 PM	#2
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $8993042	This has enough IRONY to choke a horse.
Posts: 36,832

07-17-2009, 07:33 PM	#3
underEJ Veteran Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles Casino cash: $6183141	I still love my kindle even though I have major reservations about the process of digital rights management and situations like this. I hope consumer activism will shape this into something great. The demand for a standard format is already getting notice (not fast enough, I know) but I like to be optimistic. I use it for more than downloading books too. I am in a writing group and we can email pdfs to each other's kindles and we come better prepared for our rare in person meetings. The pdfs don't read as easy as the ebooks, but it is good enough. There is plenty to recommend even with the major issues of digital rights and unit price. I think with a better unit price, more customers will add more pressure and then we will really see some progress. That being said, they should send complimentary print editions to every customer that bought the ebook in addition to the refund.
Posts: 1,240

07-17-2009, 08:28 PM	#10
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	Amazing. You have to wonder if this wasn't some kind of publicity stunt by the publisher. FAX
Posts: 44,492

07-17-2009, 10:31 PM	#11
Lzen Banded Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Oz Casino cash: $-679308	That is messed up. They shouldn't have deleted them from people that already bought them. I mean, WTF? You already paid for it. And 1984 of all books. Irony at its best. __________________ Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.
Posts: 42,484

07-17-2009, 10:54 PM	#15
Lzen Banded Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Oz Casino cash: $-679308	That Kindle is actually a really cool device. But I believe it costs about $300. __________________ Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.
Posts: 42,484