Comments on: The Kindle Swindle? It’s the book publishers who are conning themselves http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/03/02/the-kindle-swindle-its-the-book-publishers-who-are-conning-themselves/ Blogging in the real world Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:15:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: admin http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/03/02/the-kindle-swindle-its-the-book-publishers-who-are-conning-themselves/comment-page-1/#comment-40042 admin Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:30:42 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=5223#comment-40042 Clive, I find your attitude both extraordinary and appalling in equal measure. This isn't an "audio version", Amazon hasn't paid an actor to read aloud your works. It's a piece of software that interprets text and converts it into speech. If that's a threat to your audio book sales, you're hiring the wrong narrators. Your industry is taking the same, Luddite, wind-up-the-drawbridge approach as the music industry did. Amazon spends money developing a feature that enhances your product, and you're gut instinct is to sue. Remember this conversation when you're looking back a decade from now and wondering where your company went. Barry Collins Online Editor Clive,

I find your attitude both extraordinary and appalling in equal measure. This isn’t an “audio version”, Amazon hasn’t paid an actor to read aloud your works. It’s a piece of software that interprets text and converts it into speech. If that’s a threat to your audio book sales, you’re hiring the wrong narrators.

Your industry is taking the same, Luddite, wind-up-the-drawbridge approach as the music industry did. Amazon spends money developing a feature that enhances your product, and you’re gut instinct is to sue.

Remember this conversation when you’re looking back a decade from now and wondering where your company went.

Barry Collins
Online Editor

]]> By: Clive Stanhope http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/03/02/the-kindle-swindle-its-the-book-publishers-who-are-conning-themselves/comment-page-1/#comment-40034 Clive Stanhope Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:54:00 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=5223#comment-40034 As an audiobook publisher, I am horrified that Kindle should have even considered putting an audio version, however good or bad, on their machine in view of all the rights issues involved. Do people now think that they can always ride rough-shod over copyright laws. In an age when China is at last coming to terms with the copyright law I find it amazing that the manufacturers of the Kindle should take several steps backwards and do their own version which i can't even bring myself to listen to. In an age of specialisation, the Kindle is fantastic for reading ebooks but anyone who wants to listen should surely go and buy on CD or download the definitive audio version. We shall take legal action should Kindle decide to give their terrible audio version of any tile to which we have exclusive audio rights. As an audiobook publisher, I am horrified that Kindle should have even considered putting an audio version, however good or bad, on their machine in view of all the rights issues involved. Do people now think that they can always ride rough-shod over copyright laws. In an age when China is at last coming to terms with the copyright law I find it amazing that the manufacturers of the Kindle should take several steps backwards and do their own version which i can’t even bring myself to listen to. In an age of specialisation, the Kindle is fantastic for reading ebooks but anyone who wants to listen should surely go and buy on CD or download the definitive audio version. We shall take legal action should Kindle decide to give their terrible audio version of any tile to which we have exclusive audio rights.

]]> By: J Gray http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/03/02/the-kindle-swindle-its-the-book-publishers-who-are-conning-themselves/comment-page-1/#comment-39039 J Gray Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:05:04 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=5223#comment-39039 I whole heartedly agree! How ridiculous Mr Blount is to predict the end of the audio book, just because Kindle 2 has a rudimentary voice synth. This sort of synth has been about for years on PCs and we still read things on screens - surely we would all have tossed our TFTs aside and put on the headphones to browse are emails! As an avid reader, but also as someone who enjoys audio books while renovating my house, a simple voice synth will not replace a high quality human reader. Maybe the Daleky voice could be used on a Doctor Who audio book? I whole heartedly agree! How ridiculous Mr Blount is to predict the end of the audio book, just because Kindle 2 has a rudimentary voice synth. This sort of synth has been about for years on PCs and we still read things on screens – surely we would all have tossed our TFTs aside and put on the headphones to browse are emails!
As an avid reader, but also as someone who enjoys audio books while renovating my house, a simple voice synth will not replace a high quality human reader. Maybe the Daleky voice could be used on a Doctor Who audio book?

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