A lot of excitement over the Kindle 2. I’m not a Kindle user, but as an avid book reader and book buyer (more buying than reading these days), I find it hard not to be excited about the convenience and superpowers the Kindle bestows. (Not to mention access to Kindle-only books!)
However, what becomes of libraries, research, and the sharing of books? Libraries (and just simple act of being able to lend a book) did more to democratize knowledge than arguably anything in history. (I will not rush to coronate the web, it hasn’t been around for even one generation yet). Will libraries be permitted to “lend” in an era when books are digital only, and DRM’d or locked in a device? What happens to access to books for the poor and those in less developed countries? Will economically-distressed book publishers embrace enabling sharing for their electronic books, or will they go the way of the RIAA and the recording and movie industry, and use their new found digital IP powers and fight tooth and nail to keep the dissemination of their books tightly controlled? Will sharing books be “illegal?”
Thoughts? Has there been any comment by Amazon or the book industry on digital books, libraries, and person-to-person sharing?
A worthwhile question, indeed.
On the bright side, the 20% make me feel less alone in the world.