Not in the least. I trust it's foibles to keep me in a job though


The most popular Linux distro has had some... Amazon related issues recently. The absolutely crucial parts of the current infrastructure I've built actually run on FreeBSD. The bits I have to run on Microsoft do but I've got it on paper that that wasn't my decision and in fact my recommendation was something else.

I make sure I have a copy of my important personal data on a disk in a known, standard, non-properietary format (and the disk is as standard a file system as I can find), so in theory i can read it on any platform at any time. Relying on someone else to look after your data is like relying on someone else to look after your house keys. Most of the time, it'd be fine....

Jon

Nice one, cheers

Oh wow, remember when HarperCollins and Random House took your books away from you?

All of the major distros run proprietary software of some description, even Fedora, which is why I posted the hand link of distros. which employ exclusively "free" (as in 'speech') software.

I would have thought that she has a very good case.

So a norwegian using an amazon.co.uk account ordering off amazon.com probably flagging quite a few anti-fraud measures and breaking the publishers regional copyright/distrubution rights gets a draconian response.. never saw that coming.

How is that wrong though? Why shouldn't a Norwegean be able to by from Amazon UK?
It not like someone in Waterstones wouldn't sell him a paper book in the UK just because he's a foreigner.

Are Amazon trying the do more evil policy?

The problem is, Amazon UK have the rights to sell the books in the UK, they don't necessarily have the rights to sell the book in other countries - or rather the publisher in the UK can sell the book in the UK, but not abroad.

As the purchaser is outside the UK at the time of purchase, they are breaking the terms and conditions.

For some non-English speaking countries, the selling of English language books isn't covered by the traditional territory, so a British and an American publisher can sell their version of the book in that country. Nordic countries fall under this banner, but e-book suppliers seem to be playing it safe and not pissing off their publishing partners, by not letting people outside the explicit market where they have definitive rights to sell those books.

That said, Amazon have said that suspending the account does not delete the Kindle and they have allegedly restored her Kindle library.

Ahh but the purchase took place in the UK as it came from a UK based server ( just like the American are saying that if the Server is in the US then you are breaking US law even if you are sitting in the UK ).

Does that mean that if I am on Holiday in Norway that I cannot buy a book and will have my account closed ?

It sounds like that's the case, which not to put too fine a point on it is bonkers.

that's the regional demarcation publishers work on. though if your using a credit card registered in the uk, buying from a uk site it should be ok unless your bank decides its an odd purchase and blocks the transaction anyway.

On many occasions the books will not be available in the country anyway. I used to take over the Harry Potter Books in English for my kids in Sweden. They were delayed many months as were translated into Swedish. Since the kids were fluent in English it was a good option. Seems like I was smuggling books just like this woman.