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We Don't Really Own the Digital Possessions That We Buy Online

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday July 01 2020, @02:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the gone-with-the-wind dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.iafrikan.com/2020/06/30/do-we-really-own-our-digital-possessions/

During 2019, Microsoft announced that it will close the books category of its digital store. While other software and apps will still be available via the virtual shop front, and on purchasers' consoles and devices, the closure of the eBook store takes with it customers' eBook libraries. Any digital books bought through the service – even those bought many years ago – will no longer be readable after July 2019. While the company has promised to provide a full refund for all eBook purchases, this decision raises important questions of ownership.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2020, @05:34PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2020, @05:34PM (#1015080)

    hmmm ... instead of giveing money back to the buyer, teh shitty m$hit should remove the DRM on their shit (via sanctioned cracking app) and instead give the money to the original author.
    it is "very sad indeed" that m$ is banking on the lazyness of some shafted customers to "just let it slide" so that they can keep the monies.
    furthermore m$ should reimburse customers also for the time required to get their monies back ('cause it will require time from the customer and the money will not appear in the account magically!)
    i hope clubbermints will in future deal judgement with a heavy hand when companies et al insist on DRM enforcment of human knowledge only to later on abandon it...

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2020, @05:52PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2020, @05:52PM (#1015092)

    one could conjure up a fictional plot where DRM is totally legally used to "vanish information", eh?
    say a genius has a .. uhm ... err... genius idea (but s/he is a bit greedy).
    thus a "deal is made with publisher or distributor (who is secretly in bed with a entity opposed to "the knowledge") for exclusive distribution rights and DRM (to "protect profits").
    all goes well until it is revealed that it was m$ and its e(vaporate)Books format.
    and thus the genius idea ... vanished