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Hen81
Veteran Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 178
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 03:28 pm: | 
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I don't know about you guys, but I have a problem with the new kindle being able to read books aloud. As an author with an Audio book publishing contract that paid an advance and royalties, this is like the original Napster to me. Just because technology can make something possible, does not give someone the right to do it. The thing with the Kindle 2 is that it was never put forth as a possibility when authors/publishers published books in Kindle format. I have substantial numbers of the CD version of my books sold through my publisher Recorded Books, now a device can allow a $7 file to be read aloud by a machine with no extra author benefit. Right now audio rights are a seperate item that an author can sell. What's your opinion on this issue.
http://www.switched.com/2009/02/13/kindle-2-reads-books-aloud-perturbs-authors-g uild/?icid=200100397x1218971564x1201228801
http://DTPollard.com |
Carey
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Carey
Post Number: 1655
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 03:59 pm: |
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Hello Mr. Pollard
I am not a contract laywer so excuse me if I sound a little stupid. I can only assume that your contract is not tied to profits? I also do not know who is profiting by this new Kindle 2. That being said, this sound just like the actors who were in sitcoms that fought to receive benifits from re-runs. Someone owns the rights to your work? Who is making money by this new technology? Is Kindle 2 paying someone for your books? Is Kindle the only one profiting? Is renogotiation possible? |
Kola_boof
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Kola_boof
Post Number: 4949
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 07:23 pm: |
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P.S.
DT Pollard,
Mobipocket is owned by Amazon.Com
if you don't know.
If you want more money, you better
make sure you've been picked up by
Mobipocket.com
A SECRET I found out is that since
"Black readers" can't afford $400
for a Kindle---they just download
the Mobi-E-reader for free.
All the top books are sold by
Mobipocket!
I make $30 a day MORE in royalties
from Mobipocket than I do Kindle.
70% of the email I get now is from
White kids and Black "college" students
and it's mostly White boys.
I have one in the Phillipines who's
a student there and emails EVERY DAY
to cuss me out! But he's steady buying
my books.
I was even invited to speak at Binghampton
College by one of the Professors, Dellvin, because these boys have become Kola Kids
downloading all my books.
There's now even a Kola Kid Fan CLub at
MOREHOUSE because of these e-books
and the INTERNET taking over the book
biz.
I think by 2011, this is going to be a
MAJOR force in books and I'm just glad
to be building my audience NOW.
DON'T COMPLAIN.
BUILD YOUR FAN BASE.
. |
Hen81
Veteran Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 179
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 - 08:26 pm: |
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Carey,
I own the rights to my books in Kindle format and get paid directly by amazon on a percentage basis. Recorded Books LLC owns the audio rights to one of my books. The audio download to one of my books is also sold on amazon. It is just an interesting step that brings up rights issues and how does this technology affect future audio books as they improve the voice playback. Another option would have been to include an MP3 player to download current audio books.
Kola, I will look into mobipocket.
www.DTPollard.com |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1678
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2009 - 12:11 am: |
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Hen81 I hear you. (No pun intended)
However the technology to read text was always available the Kindle 2 just makes it easier to take advantage of it.
I have a Kindle 2 and the text to speech feature is surprising good. I was following along with it as it read a massage of text and I was trying to figure out how it knew to pause while reading to sound so natural.
There are technolgoies evolving every single day that changes the business and economic landscape on a daily basis.
I've changed my business model at least three times in 10 years. The challenge is to remain viable in a constantly changing world.
I'm not an attorney versed in the legal ramifications, nor did I read the article you linked too. So my opinion is not based on the letter of the law: I think the benefit to the consumer and the author (in the long run) out weigh any short term financial disadvantage you may incur.
Perhap audio rights belong to performed or author read version of a book.
The book was purchased by the Kindle 2 user why can't they enjoy it in any manner their technology allow them to enjoy it. Maybe I'm reading your novel, but my eyes have gotten tired - now I can continue listening and enjoying the book without a break.
Man this might open books (including yours) up to a bigger audience, the semi literature, non-native english speaker, the elderly, etc.
Asking another way how much money would you want to allow your book to be read on a Kindle? |
Hen81
Veteran Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 183
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2009 - 10:02 pm: |
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Troy, that is a good question. I think what will eventually happen is a settlement that allows a permission code or mark that signals if a book can be read aloud or not. The author's guild had another settlement with google over the scanning of books into its database.
I could see a standard price upcharge for audio enabled books vs. non-enabled. I listened to a Youtube of the Kindle reading and was surprised at how clear it was.
www.DTPollard.com |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1687
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 10:15 am: |
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Looks like Amazon will allow publishers to decide if their books can be allowed to be read on a Kindle. If they choose not to I think that will be an error in judgment on the publisher's or author's part.
The price of most books is $9.99. While that price may make economic sense, it "feels" rather expensive when compared to the paperback equivalent. Increasing the price of an eBook to compensate authors additional to allow the book to be read would cramp demand.
Next thing you know publishers will want to charge parents to reading books to their children... |
Hen81
Veteran Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 184
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 10:42 am: |
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Troy, that issue was addressed in a follow up. The real issue is that audio books are a $1 billion dollar revenue stream. No the kindle does not store the recording, but is there any difference due to the fact that a computer can read aloud on demand. In that case the downloaded ebook is the stored recording.
http://www.authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/e-book-rights-alert-amazons-kindle -2.html
The other thing to consider is that not all books are made into audio books today and that creates a niche market environmet. This read aloud feature effectively changes the competitive landscape of that market segment. This sounds like an inside baseball thing, but I do think it is a slippery slope due to technological advances.
One day we will have an actors strike due to completely live actor free movies with voice and 3-D animation being all computer generated. I think it has been tried before, but the technolgy was not advanced enough. Look at what has happened to studio musicians and the live elements of some concerts.
www.DTPollard.com |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1688
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 03:29 pm: |
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Technology at the current rate will evolve to the point where we will not need live actors for movies. eBook readers will be able to perform books with user selectable voices for each character, translation on the fly, etc.
Does that mean we should firmly adhere to the old payment models?
I'm sure the blacksmith bemoaned the horseless carriage and the candle maker cursed Edison. Should individuals who earn money through obsolete technology be allowed to stop progress -- even if they scream loudly or have expensive lawyers?
Cable companies have been bitching and lobbying for years to stop TV programing from being distributed via the internet. Sure these companies have invested a ton of money stringing cable and fiber throughout the country, but does that mean we can't take advantage of technologies that already exist which allows us to watch TV for free?
I too would fight for a cash cow that allowed me to charge folks $100, $200 a month for something that is available for free.
Too many business fight for what is best for their pockets with ever considering what is best for society.
Your financial services industry is a fine example. |
Hen81
Veteran Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 185
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 04:59 pm: |
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Troy,I understand your point clearly, on the other hand, technology will continue to outpace the rules that govern it. I'm sure that each of these advances will be tested in courts of law and public opinion. The answer will be somewhere in the middle.
We just have to be careful to allow the content creators, authors, to retain some degree of control and compensation as technolgy goes forward. Free is hard to compete with as struggling newspapers are discovering. They put their content online, but ad revenue did not follow.
www.dtpollard.com |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1691
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 07:20 pm: |
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"technology will continue to outpace the rules that govern it." Agreed.
However the whole concept of ownership, control perhaps needs to be revised. But that is another conversation altogether.... |
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