What does Jeff Bezos think is going to happen?
Amazon’s decision to cut off older Kindle devices and tighten its DRM model is prompting readers to reconsider how and where they buy books. Commenters debate the ethics of pirating versus paying platforms seen as abusive, the legitimacy of intellectual property rights, and the power imbalance between publishers, tech giants, creators, and consumers. Many advocate shifting to DRM‑free formats, library use, independent bookstores, or alternative platforms like Kobo and direct author sales to reduce dependence on Amazon.
Amazon’s Kindle Changes and User Response
- Many see dropping support for older Kindles and download options as predictable DRM lock‑in: this is “what you bought into.”
- Some call it greed and “planned obsolescence,” arguing Amazon could afford to keep old devices working or replace them cheaply.
- Others argue supporting legacy hardware and infra for low‑spending users isn’t financially justified.
- Several users say this pushed them to jailbreak Kindles, move to EPUB, or abandon Amazon entirely for other ecosystems.
Piracy vs. Paying, and the Morality of DRM
- One camp advocates pirating Kindle books (or similar) while paying authors directly, as a way to punish “misbehaving” companies and avoid reinforcing DRM.
- Another camp frames that as theft or fraud: you don’t get to unilaterally rewrite contract terms just because you dislike them.
- There’s a deep sub‑thread on property vs. intellectual property:
- Some argue both share the same moral root in labor and ownership.
- Others counter that IP is a state‑created incentive, not a natural right, and current copyright lengths are socially harmful.
- Power imbalance, unreadable EULAs, and monopolistic behavior are cited as reasons contracts feel morally void to some.
Middlemen Platforms and Discoverability
- Critics of Amazon/other platforms say we should “cut out middlemen” and buy direct.
- Multiple replies note why creators still use platforms:
- Massive built‑in audiences and trust for payments.
- Discovery, reviews, recommendation systems, and refunds.
- Handling taxes, cross‑border sales, and technical distribution.
- Some think ebooks are relatively easy to “disrupt”; others respond that if it were easy, it would already have happened at scale.
Alternatives and Support for Authors
- Suggested alternatives: Kobo devices, other ebook stores, DRM‑light EPUB plus Calibre, audiobooks from non‑Amazon vendors, second‑hand and independent bookshops, and public libraries (including digital lending).
- Several emphasize: if you do pirate, sending even a modest direct payment to the author often exceeds their cut from a conventional sale.
- There’s hope that direct, voluntary payments could one day outpace platform revenue, exposing how little large intermediaries return to creators.