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Analyzing Amazon's E-Book Loan Agreement

conel writes "The Economist has a knowledgeable mainstream take on the restrictions publishers are forcing on e-books. From the article: 'They wish you to engage in two separate hallucinations. First, that their limited license to read a work on a device or within software of their choosing is equivalent to the purchase of a physical item. Second, that the vast majority of e-books are persistent objects rather than disposable culture. ... Just as with music, DRM will be cracked. As more people possess portable reading devices, the demand and availability for pirated content will also rise. (Many popular e-books can now be found easily on file-sharing sites, something that was not the case even a few months ago, as Adrian Hon recently pointed out.)"

3 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Re:eBook piracy by jank1887 · · Score: 4, Informative
  2. Re:What's wrong? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've seen that suggestion several times. And it sounds just as stupid every time. You're not lending a READER when you let someone borrow your kindle/nook/whatever, you're lending your ENTIRE LIBRARY. If I buy a book, I can lend the book. That's the end of the story. I am perfectly fine with the fact that book lent out can't be read by me - that's fine. What I don't appreciate being told is how long the loan is, who is "allowed" to be lent the book, and "if" I'm allowed to lend the book.

  3. Re:What's wrong? by vikarti · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are other cases except your 2,for example: There is a good SciFi series of 4 books. Except that it is impossible to buy ANY electronic version of 4rd one(it is in kindle store - but limited to USA only). Other electronic versions are available...in USA only again. (previous parts were sold via Baen's Webscription,and bought by me for example) What I should do?I was ready to pay.except they don't want to get money. Tried,honestly find ways.after 2 hours give up and fired up eMule,after some time problem solved(for me)