Amazon now discloses you're buying a license to view Kindle eBooks
Amazon’s new wording that Kindle customers are “buying a license to view” eBooks, combined with its plan to remove USB downloads, has reignited concerns about digital ownership and DRM lock‑in. Commenters argue that using a “Buy” button for revocable licenses is misleading, especially when eBooks often cost as much as or more than physical copies, and many say this pushes them toward stripping DRM, pirating backup copies, or abandoning Kindle for Kobo and other DRM‑free options. Several point to a recent California law forcing clearer disclosure, broader worries about corporate control over media, and a growing desire for ways to truly own digital books or support authors and local bookstores directly.
Ownership vs. License Language
- Many argue that showing “license to view” under a “Buy” button is deceptive; they want “Rent” or similarly explicit language.
- Several say the disclosure isn’t very informative: what matters are concrete rights (revocability, transfer, time limits, offline backup), not just the word “license.”
- Some contend that true “purchase” for digital goods should mean a perpetual, irrevocable, transferable license with DRM‑free files; others claim digital “ownership” is inherently different from physical.
Trust, Revocation, and Platform Power
- Users cite past removals of digital content (e.g., Kindle’s 1984 incident, shutdowns of ebook/music stores, Sony video removals) as proof that access can disappear despite payment.
- Amazon’s removal of the “download via USB” option is seen as tightening lock‑in and disqualifying it from “permanent offline” exemptions in new laws.
- A minority trust Amazon/Steam‑style platforms and are comfortable with account‑tied access; others explicitly distrust Amazon’s incentives and future behavior.
Piracy: Ethics, Legality, and Practice
- Many say Amazon’s licensing model “legitimizes” piracy or makes it the “lesser evil,” especially when no DRM‑free option exists.
- Counter‑arguments stress that piracy undermines authors’ livelihoods and that license terms, though disliked, don’t justify infringement.
- Some adopt hybrid ethics: buy a copy (ideally non‑Amazon) to support the author, then pirate or strip DRM for a usable archival copy.
- Technical discussion covers Calibre + DeDRM, jailbreaks, KOReader, torrenting with VPNs, and the DMCA’s anti‑circumvention rules (notably, fair use doesn’t clearly protect DRM removal).
Alternatives and Workarounds
- Strong interest in DRM‑free sources: Kobo (with DRM‑free labeling), some publishers’ own sites, Humble Bundle (often), Ebooks.com filters, Libro.fm for audiobooks, library apps (Libby), and piracy sites.
- Several are migrating from Kindle to Kobo, or at least bulk‑downloading and de‑DRMing their Kindle libraries before Amazon’s deadline.
- Others highlight library use, used/physical books, and open collections (Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks) to avoid these issues.
Impact on Authors and Publishers
- An author in the thread explains that Amazon royalties are often very low; buying directly from publishers or local bookstores yields more income for them.
- Libraries are generally portrayed as positive for authors (building readership) but more ambivalent for publishers.
- Some argue current IP and DRM regimes benefit large intermediaries more than authors, blocking a “Bandcamp for books”‑style market.