The Great Kindle Swindle
2009-07-24 11:01
On the 17th of July online retailer Amazon did something breathtakingly foolish – they took back several hundred books and refunded the customers, all without asking permission first.
They were able to do this because the books in question were electronic (aka “e-books”) and were stored on Amazon’s proprietary e-book reader, the Kindle. Since the Kindle is permanently connected to the internet, Amazon were able to use a back door to effectively steal the books back.
Why would they do such a thing? Simple – they were desperate to appease the demands of the publisher, MobileReference, who had abruptly backtracked on a decision to make the books available electronically.
The New York Times compared it to Barnes & Noble (a large book retailer) “sneaking into our homes in the middle of the night, taking some books that we’ve been reading off our nightstands, and leaving us a check (sic) on the coffee table.”
That’s a little melodramatic, but it accurately captures general customer perceptions about this sort of high handed behaviour. Surely when something has been bought, it stays bought? And why did Amazon not at least inform its customers of the impending disappearance?
It’s also not great news for a platform that is already fighting to remain relevant. Book sales have been in slow decline around the world for decades. E-books are supposed to save this market, cutting out the costs of paper editions and keeping everyone happy (except the poor slobs who work the printing presses).
Who's in charge?
Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously dismissed the idea, saying “People don’t read anymore”. Regardless of whether this is true, Amazon have done immeasurable damage to the good will of their Kindle users – both current and potential.
Their action also sets a dangerous precedent. In an increasingly connected world, your entire music and movie collection are likely to be linked to their original supplier at all times. So what, apart from terrible PR, stops iTunes from pulling the same trick? Or Netflix? Or any other content vendor?
Anyone who owns and iPod or iPhone has already experienced the frustration of having their newest apps or songs deleted from the device because the computer they have just plugged them into isn’t properly “authorised” by iTunes.
It raises the question – who is actually in control here? The publishers of content, or its consumers? Before the always-on-web this was a moot point. Local record shops didn’t have secret agents who could reclaim that embarrassing Milli Vanilli CD from your collection. But now it appears we may be using our content at the largesse of the feudal publisher lords.
But the most deliciously ridiculous thing about this whole debacle is the titles of the books that Amazon reclaimed: 1984 and Animal Farm.
That’s right - George Orwell’s anti-totalitarian masterpieces. And they say Americans don’t understand the meaning of “irony”.
- Alistair is Social Media Manager at 20FourLabs.
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