In a recent press release, Amazon noted that some new features were coming to Kindle. We’re adding new AI-powered reading features that preserve the magic of reading on Kindle. Story So Far lets you catch up on the book you’re reading—but only up to where you’ve read without any spoilers. For our endlessly curious readers,Read More

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.jtworld.xyz/post/35542

Seen this the other day on Mastodon. So much for selling one’s books on the last online bookstore that actually moves copies for a change.

  • MotoAsh@piefed.socialEnglish
    15·
    22 hours ago

    Amazon: “You consented when you published your book on our platform. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Yes, even before ‘AI’ came along.”

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      3·
      18 hours ago

      lol yeah that’s not gonna fly in court. You can’t unilaterally make tectonic post hoc contractual adjustments like that. Or, you’re not supposed to be able to. But who knows these days.

      • MotoAsh@piefed.socialEnglish
        2·
        10 hours ago

        Yes it will. “We can change this contract at will any time without notice”

        You signed. You don’t have an inaliable right to be informed. These kinds of sentences show up all over EULA’s and other consent forms.

        Amazon isn’t entering a business contract with you. They’re merely selling/publishing your product.

        And you signed away your ownership.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.caEnglish
        4·
        13 hours ago

        lol yeah that’s not gonna fly in court.

        Doesn’t mean they won’t try.

        Wasting everyone’s time and money in the process, while hoping to bankrupt anyone standing in their way with obscenely huge legal bills.

      • fonix232@fedia.io
        4·
        17 hours ago

        It’s not really an adjustment though? Amazon’s publishing contract has always preserved the standard AND extended publisher rights (which other publishers do the same way btw, maybe not with this level of hostility as they can’t afford to lose writers, but publishers have had an insane amount of leverage for decades now).

        Basically the moment you agree for Amazon to publish your book, you give them permission to handle it as if it were their own product - you’re “just” the author, who gets a pittance from sales.

        So unless the authors can show that Amazon’s approach is causing them direct financial harm and therefore the publishing contract is to be terminated, courts won’t be too helpful.