eBooks: Who Owns Your Digital Downloads?

Fortune Tech:

The holiday season is upon us, and with it thoughts of peace on earth, goodwill... and the latest electronic media. Visions of Kindles and Kinects dance in childrens' heads (and no doubt yours as well), and iTunes store cards invitingly peek from stocking tops. But as consumers embrace digital media, businesses and courts grapple with a question that has proved as elusive as it is essential: when you "buy" an e-book, an MP3, or a downloaded TV show or movie, what do you really "own"?

Read the whole story: Fortune Tech

Comments

[livesimply]

11:07 PM on 12/30/2010

I just got a Kindle and I love it. I just downloaded Mark Twain's "new" autobiography which I understand is huge on hard copy. I can skip through all the citations, etc., bookmark, highlight, etc. I travel a lot and it's really great not to have to lug books around. The down side is that when I read a really good book, I like to pass it on. Now I can't. We should be allowed to share with at least two other people IMO.

[Surreal2me]

09:13 PM on 12/27/2010

What about the issue of companies demanding that you use their technology only? My issue is that Itunes is the largest digital music store in the world. Over the years I have purchased thousands of dollars in music. I do not use an Iphone I use Palm technology but I am now blocked from accessing my music because Apple decided that they didn't want Sprint to use their store. Where does that leave me? Am I forced to use AT&T and Iphones or am I forced to spend all that money again? Seems to me when I paid full price I should have some rights.

[livesimply]

11:02 PM on 12/30/2010

I have a mac computer and just got a Sprint Evo and a really, really good tech person who can work magic. He can link anything together. He linked my last T-mobile smart phone with my mac and I think he will be able to do it again...maybe. I suggest you find someone like him...or maybe you could get a good used ipod.

[Surreal2me]

09:46 AM on 01/03/2011

Thanks. I have asked around and even tried to find the diy info on the net and no luck so far. I have go back to the Itunes version before they blocked but now I can't access my music at all because it locked in the newest version.. anyway thanks for the advice. I do own an Ipod but that's not the point. I have a smart phone and would rather use one device which is the purpose of the smartphone (web, phone, music, email.)

[SF TKF]

10:31 AM on 12/27/2010

***Perhaps it is ironic that the very flexibility that makes digital technology so compelling – the ease of copying and transmission – in the end may deprive consumers of basic economic rights they have enjoyed for centuries. ***

Yes, well . . . artists are being deprived of the right to be paid for their work by the hordes of pirates out there. Just take a look at the bit torrent sites or eBay. Thousands of artists being ripped off every day.

[Fabini]

07:46 AM on 12/27/2010

I am a book publisher. Today 95% of my work is electronic. Very soon it will be 100%. If you find one of my books in the Apple iBookstore, on Amazon, or in the Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores, and purchase it, you own it. Those retailers do have lengthy terms of use contracts, which none of us read. Those contracts are meaningful and do hold legal ramifications, but do you care? No, you want to read your book.

I hold the copyright to the books I publish and that has legal ramifications. But again, do you care? No, you just want to read the book. Because it's easy, should you make unlimited electronic copies of my books and give them away? No, you know better than that. In your gut you know it's wrong.

It's a little disconcerting to me that our reading choices are governed by doctrines, first sale or otherwise. Let's regain our moral compass and live by respect and fairness. Naïve? No, human.

[RedDogBear]

02:02 PM on 12/27/2010

"hould you make unlimited electronic copies of my books and give them away? No, you know better than that."

I agree with that but that's not the issue. When I buy a physical book I can do what I want with it. I often like to lend or give some books to my friends. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't be possible with electronic books as well.

[ESerafina42]

03:16 PM on 12/27/2010

I agree. Also, people who don't have a ton o' money to buy all new books (including me) have always haunted used bookstores and library sales. That's never been considered infringing on anyone's copyright. As someone said in response to my other comment, there should be a way to do something similar without "giving away unlimited copies," as our publisher friend seems to be so worried about.

[RedDogBear]

02:05 PM on 12/27/2010

One last point: its unrealistic restrictions like this, saying you can't lend, give, or resell your eBook to other that I think encourages people to just hack through the security. I realize that some people would do it no matter what but I think many more are driven to illegally copy and distribute content because of draconian things like this.

[no exit]

01:00 PM on 12/26/2010

I love my Kindle, but I don't like having to pay more for Kindle books than I would for a paperback of the same title and then NOT be able to give to a friend to read...In fact, I resent it a lot. Once I pay for something, I expect it to be mine, no matter what their lawyer legaleze, high-faluting mumbo jumbo tries to rationalize.

[palisades02]

07:00 PM on 12/26/2010

So true.

[RedDogBear]

02:02 PM on 12/27/2010

Absolutely agree.

[ESerafina42]

11:50 AM on 12/24/2010

One reason why ebooks, etc. should cost less.

[RedDogBear]

02:06 PM on 12/27/2010

I think a better solution would be to make it possible to re-purpose an ebook: lend it, give it, or resell it to someone else. I don't think its a hard technical problem. But I agree if that can't be solved then the current price of eBooks is too high compared to what it costs for a paperback. Its too bad because I really like eBooks and if not for this that is all I would ever buy.