Except IIRC this isn’t the first time, won’t be the last time, that purchased content has been removed/access denied from a customers account.
edited bit -
Oh look I remembered…
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No, it just means you don’t run an ad blocker in your browser.
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While not specifically designed for it, Calibre link lets one do this. In fact, I’ve found that you can actually edit certain types of ebook files (which I find entertainly bizarre). I does update very frequently so how long this lasts is anyones guess.
Peter Kafka has an article up at all things digital calling into question the truth of this story. Key quote:
"I asked an Amazon PR rep. Turns out that at least part of the story is true: “What you are referring to was a temporary issue with some of our catalog data and it has been fixed. Customers should never lose access to their Amazon Instant Video purchases. If they have any issues accessing purchased videos, they should contact customer service.”
Translation: Yes, we bricked some content we had previously sold. But that was a bug, not a feature: When you buy a video from us, you get to keep it, even if Disney wants to maximize its TV eyeballs."
http://allthingsd.com/20131216…
Cory Doctorow, do you stand by this story or does it deserve a retraction?
Congratulations on your first post!
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A Boing Boing feature. Between the crappy post formatting, all of the advertising on the right and in the middle, it’s easy to get lost. As time goes on, the site looks more like Fox or CNN vs a blog of wonderful things.
But, I’ll say sorry to Cory. As an Internet Icon posting on your own site, it’s should be easy for him to correctly format and make posts.
I’ll stick to my comments, DRM used in this way sucks. People should know, and people like Cory should continue to bang the drum on how bad it is.
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Whereas kindle users with US credit cards appreciate the small discount over the hardback version.
I have something on the order of a hundred books on my kindle and ipad-- which I can read at any time, not just when I’m at home. (Usually, I read no more than four or five simultaneously, but that’s still quite some bulk to deal with when they’re in dead tree form).
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oh my, I once bought a DSLR camera from Amazon. I wonder if I should worry that Amazon will go into my public website and pull down every photo I shot with it. Perhaps there’s some arcane Eula language about possible patent infringement.
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I don’t think anyone has posted the relevant part of the [Amazon Instant Video Terms of Use][1] yet, so here it is:
e. Availability of Purchased Digital Content . Purchased Digital Content will generally continue to be available to you for download or streaming from the Service, as applicable, but may become unavailable due to potential content provider licensing restrictions and for other reasons, and Amazon will not be liable to you if Purchased Digital Content becomes unavailable for further download or streaming. You may download and store your own copy of Purchased Digital Content on a Compatible Device authorized for such download so that you can view that Purchased Digital Content if it becomes unavailable for further download or streaming from the Service.
This would seem to answer a lot of the questions and hypotheticals posted above.
[1]: Amazon.com Help
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Actually, it’s by design, as far as I can tell. Calibre has a plugin mechanism and nothing can prevent developers to create a DRM-stripping plugin. (Unless, of course, the next unbreakable DRM scheme.)
Also, editing e-books is kinda nice. Once in a while I go in and fix annoying spelling mistakes or undo brain-dead formatting presets.
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And you’re not paying Amazon for permanent access either. They make that absolutely clear. Again, this isn’t up to Amazon. They don’t own the right to sell you permanent access to this content that is owned by Disney. if Disney says it goes away, then it goes away. (BTW, like the way you skipped right over iTunes in your reply.)
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