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Authors Can Silence Talking Kindle: Amazon

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 28, 2009 11:01 AM CST
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(Newser) – Amazon has bowed to pressure from the Authors Guild and will allow authors and publishers to disable the controversial text-to-speech feature on its Kindle e-reader, the Los Angeles Times reports. Authors contend that the function essentially turns the e-book into an audio book, a contract violation. “They created a hybrid product,” a guild executive said. “It was being used in a way they had not been given permission for.”

Despite the legal talk from the guild, insiders said the move by Amazon was intended to smooth relations with authors, not avoid a lawsuit. “This announcement was 95% motivated by business and relationship concerns,” one lawyer said. “The copyright claims were speculative at best.” Amazon concurred, saying the feature was legal but “rights holders will be more comfortable with the text-to-speech feature if they are in the driver's seat.”

Jeff Bezos, chairman and CEO of Amazon.com, unveils the Kindle 2 electronic reader.
Jeff Bezos, chairman and CEO of Amazon.com, unveils the Kindle 2 electronic reader.   (AP Photo)
The new Kindle 2 electronic reader.
The new Kindle 2 electronic reader.   (AP Photo)
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Kindle 2's experimental text-to-speech feature is legal: no copy is made, no derivative work is created and no performance is being given.
- Amazon.com

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Mjoh3
Mar 1, 2009 9:52 PM CST
You're right. The only thing this will do is make me less likely to buy the book.
kokuaguy
Mar 1, 2009 6:00 AM CST
Apple/wants/to/charge/me/$1200/to/repair/my/space/bar/ so/I'm/keyboard/challenged. Bezos/basically/admitted/that/it's/crap/when/he/was/interviewed/on/the/DAILY/SHOW.
Guest
Feb 28, 2009 4:25 AM CST
Has anyone even listened to the text-to-speech feature? It sounds like crap. I'd rather hear a real person read my story I'm too lazy to read. This is just a feature to continue with a book while driving. That clippy robotic speech is terrible and really not worth worrying about.

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Kindle • copyright infringement • audio books • Amazon.com • ebooks • Authors Guild • e-readers

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