Has your Kindle been hobbled?
I just finished reading a blog entry on the E-Access Bulletin about efforts to force Amazon to shut off the text-to-speech feature of the new Kindle 2 e-book reader. It seems certain publishers want additional “audio royalties” for providing what they see as a “audiobook.”
I know things are tough financially all over, but this seems pretty mercenary to me. Personally, I see a big difference between a mechanized text-to-speech reading application and audiobooks where the content is usually read by a compentent actor or perhaps by the author themselves. The richness of that experience is very different from the “computer voice. ”
It also seems to me that the publishing industry is running scared in light of what has happened to the recording industry and the Napster fiasco. They really need to put their heads together and come up with a plan to get into the game or they will simply dematerialize. Challenging every new innovation is not a solution and will only leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many consumers.
The text-to-speech features of Kindle 2 are a wonderful and universally designed element making printed materials much more available to persons with print disabilities. They should be rewarded and not punished.
Read the whole blog entry from E-Access Bulletin
UPDATE: Just read this additional blog entry from TechFlash about this controversy. Note the comments from the Authors’ Guild disputing some of the commentary.
National Federation of the Blind is into this – see press release. And see “KindleBoards.”
Some twittering about a protest in NYC on 4/7/09. Will post more when I know.
~j
