"1984", "Animal Farm" Pulled From Amazon Kindle. Why?

pogue.blogs.nytimes.com...

This morning, hundreds of Amazon Kindle owners awoke to discover that books by a certain famous author had mysteriously disappeared from their e-book readers. These were books that they had bought and paid for—thought they owned. 1984A screen shot from Amazon.com

The MobileReference edition of the novel, “Nineteen Eighty-four,” by George Orwell that was deleted from Kindle e-book readers by Amazon.com. But no, apparently the publisher changed its mind about offering an electronic edition, and apparently Amazon, whose business lives and dies by publisher happiness, caved. It electronically deleted all books by this author from people’s Kindles and credited their accounts for the price. This is ugly for all kinds of reasons.

Amazon says that this sort of thing is “rare,” but that it can happen at all is unsettling; we’ve been taught to believe that e-books are, you know, just like books, only better. Already, we’ve learned that they’re not really like books, in that once we’re finished reading them, we can’t resell or even donate them. But now we learn that all sales may not even be final.

I'm starting to get worried about the state of this world. I find this article a tad disturbing. Anyone who's on these forums and has read either Animal Farm or especially 1984 knows exactly why they removed them without me even saying anything.

For those of you that haven't read these books, and don't plan on it, here's a plot summary.

Why do you guys think they removed these books? Mere publishers tiff or something far bigger than that?

[edit on 18-7-2009 by sh1fty]

[edit on 18-7-2009 by sh1fty]

[edit on 18-7-2009 by sh1fty]

this is so scary... wow... indstead of book burning i will be book deleting.

eesh!!

From what I understand only certain versions, namely one's coming from a certain publisher, were pulled due to copyright violations.

From what I read the publisher is in a country where these 2 books are no longer copyrighted and are "free to print" so to speak. (Canada, Australia and Russia)

These books are, of course, still copyrighted here in the states so all copies were deleted. A move Amazon says it won't repeat.

Both books are still available for digital download on Amazon, just not the one's by that particular publisher.

NY Times

I have been saving to buy an E book reader, but after reading this I will save my money and buy something else.
Am I glad I saw this here.
And this is not just going on with the ebooks this is going on with all sort of software also. I do not know who to trust now as I am not getting anymore down loadable items till someone gets this stuff worked out.
These company's are shooting each foot and then trying to run with the money.

I believe that George Orwell forsaw the events happening in these books he wrote, and maybe the events unfolding now are too close to the truth for comfort?

Remember that quote from 'Animal Farm' - "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."? Sounds like the people in power to me.

My favourite is "Four legs good, two legs bad." I tend to agree.

Good topic.

This is why I don't sign up for the ''green'' garbage that banks try to push on people. They say you can save the planet and save $2 a month if only you stop getting paper statements mailed to you.

Oh yeah? What about when the electronic databases are damaged? How do you prove how much money you have (or had) in their bank? You don't. You just become a broke loser.

It is dangerous to rely on electronic copies of anything. Use them for whatever purpose, but keep paper documents as backup. Books, bank statements, whatever.

The banks are so full of it with this green stuff. I saw a list of reasons why you should stop getting your paper statements. Among the reasons listed it said that you always had access to statements online and could PRINT THEM at your leisure. Oh yeah? No thanks. I'll gladly pay for your bank's official printout and you can mail them to me, jerks.

I have never read 1984 although seen part of the movie. But I loved Animal Farm. That is a very strange "coincidence" though

Hi/

I came across George Orwells Background knowledge of Animal Farm.

Animal Farm is a satirical novella (which can also be understood as a modern fable or allegory) by George Orwell, ostensibly about a group of animals who oust the humans from the farm on which they live. They run the farm themselves, only to have it degenerate into a brutal tyranny of its own. The book was written during World War II and published in 1945, although it was not widely successful until the late 1950s.

Animal Farm is a satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism. Orwell based major events in the book on ones from the Soviet Union during the Stalin era. Orwell, a democratic socialist, and a member of the Independent Labour Party for many years, was a critic of Stalin, and was suspicious of Moscow-directed Stalinism after his experiences in the Spanish Civil War.

Moses is a tame raven who spreads stories of Sugarcandy Mountain, the "animal heaven." These beliefs are denounced by the pigs. Moses represents religion (specifically the Russian Orthodox Church), which has always been in conflict with Communism. It is interesting to note that, while Moses initially leaves the farm after the rebellion, he later returns and is supported by the pigs.

Once ONE begins to put two and two together and sees the true light in the way it is meant to be shown...You GET to see what God was saying all along!
The Truth will indeed set you free!

ICXC NIKA
helen