Kindle DRM

I ran across this blog about the Kindle DRM being a time bomb and I had to respond. The ZDNet comment interface isn’t great, built to generate page views rather than display information, so I’ll post my comment here:

I'd question the value of my Kindle at $350, but since I have an Associates account and get about $50/mn from Amazon, this cost me $150 when I bought me v1 device last year.

I think it's a great device for me, I travel/move around a lot, and I can keep multiple books with me, but the convenience that Amazon has brought to getting content is outstanding. That's me.

Do I wish I could give a copy of a book to others? Not really. Honestly in the 35+ years I've been reading heavily since age 5, I've rarely given books to others. If I like a book, I might buy a copy for someone else, but the second sale market for books is relatively small. And while I love libraries and sharing, I also think that without a strong first sale market, authors don't create as much. Or at least it doesn't get distributed as widely.

My view is that there should be some digital bill of rights introduced. If Amazon abandons the Kindle, and they have that right, they can't disable content that I have stored on my device. I'd also argue they'd have to make backup copies and send them to me if I requested them in a reasonable time frame. There could be some cost associated, but it should be required. They also should not be able to prevent me from putting other content on my device, and I've added some free MobiPocket books on mine.

We need a balance here, rights for publishers/vendors to protect their content, but not absolute rights. Consumers need rights as well, and while I don't like DRM, I accept it can exist. It just can't override all rights for consumers.

DRM is a sticky issue, and I’m not sure quite where to draw the line here. I don’t think that my Kindle dies if Amazon stops supporting it, though they should not be allowed to “disable” all my content. I’m not “renting” content here, I have purchased it, albeit with a restricted license.

Should I be allowed to copy my content to another Kindle or device? If it’s copyrighted content, no. And I feel the same way about music. Copying it for someone else’s use, so they can have it without paying for it is wrong.

However I should be able to copy pieces for comment, and I should have some freedoms to move the information around. If I wanted to print out my Kindle books for my personal use, or references, or backup, I ought to be able to do it.

I don’t know if the Kindle and the way Amazon uses it is the best business model for these devices, but I do know that I greatly appreciate the convenience of the device in my life.