When it comes to the Kindle, authors are focused on the wrong risk

My latest Guardian column, "Authors have lost the plot in Kindle battle," argues that the Authors' Guild is nuts to focus on the text-to-speech feature, and should really be paying attention to the fact that it's apparently possible to remotely disable features in the ebook reader. Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong, but the important thing is, we don't need new theories about copyright law to test the proposition. The existing, totally non-controversial aspect of copyright law that says, "AmazMake your own mossarium! Boing Boing Video Mardi Gras 1956"Through my father's lens(Boing Boing Video) Games The Boing Boing Guide to the 2010 Indie Games Student Showcase REVIEWS Walking Dead 11zombie comic is a parable about the ethics of survival and disaster Art and Design Helveticookies tweetmeme_source 'boingboing'; digg_skin 'compact'; Cory Doctorow POSTED AT2:47 AM March 312009 Book &bullCopyfight &bullGadgets When it comes to the Kindleauthors are focused on the wrong risk My latest Guardian column"Authors have lost the plot in Kindle battle,argues that the AuthorsGuild is nuts to focus on the text-to-speech featureand should really be paying attention to the fact that it's apparently possible to remotely disable features in the ebook reader. Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrongbut the important thing iswe don't need new theories about copyright law to test the propositionThe existingtotally non-controversial aspect of copyright law that says"Amazon can't publish and sell my book without my permissioncovers the territory nicely. But while we were all running our mouths about the plausibility of the singularity emerging from Amazon's text-to-speech R&Da much juicier issue was escaping our noticeit is technically possible for Amazon to switch off the text-to-speech feature for some or all books. That's a hell of a thingisn't itNow that Amazon has agreed with the Authors Guild that text-to-speech will only be switched on for authors who sign a contract permitting itwe should all be goggling in amazement at the idea that this can be accomplished. Authors have lost the plot in Kindle battle Previously:Wil Wheaton vsAuthors'Guild vsKindle Boing Boing Amazon Kindlethe Web makes Amazon go bad crazy Boing Boing In the age of ebooksyou don't own your library Boing Boing Why hardware ebook readers are a dead end (for nowanyway ... 32 Comments | Leave a comment Dedalus #1 03:09 on TueMar.31 Reply Report im feeling a little too fresh for a topic that has so many different sides ----

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• ⇒When it comes to the Kindle, authors are focused on the wrong risk