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News & ArtsTuesday, February 10, 2009
Books Kindling for the Flames of Discontent
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 3:01 PM
There's a problem with the Kindle 2.0's new audio book option, in which a computerized voice can read the text if you choose.
Some publishers and agents expressed concern over a new, experimental feature that reads text aloud with a computer-generated voice.
"They don't have the right to read a book out loud," said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild. "That's an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law."
An Amazon spokesman noted the text-reading feature depends on text-to-speech technology, and that listeners won't confuse it with the audiobook experience. Amazon owns Audible, a leading audiobook provider.
I've only listened to a few audio books in my life—here's one of them—and most of them would probably have been improved by having a dispassionate computerized voice read the text aloud.
1
Speaking of computerized voices...
To Paul Aiken: I have altered our arrangement. Pray I do not alter it any further.
To Paul Aiken: I have altered our arrangement. Pray I do not alter it any further.
2
If Colbert does a side by side comparison of his Audio Book and the Kindle voice, someone owes me $5.
3
You need to broaden your experience with audio books, then. A good narrator can make it a great experience. There are some audio books that are better than reading the printed page.
4
I agree with JC: Some narrators elevate the story and others kill it on the spot. Neil Gaiman does a fantastic job with his books and having Lenny Henry do Anansi Boys was a brilliant move (and is better than the book somehow). Yiddish Policeman's Union was also really good and anything Stephen Fry does is worth listening to.
8
@7: agreed; the complaint comes across as whiny and asinine - the voice option is more than likely for the benefit of the sight impaired. and to a lesser degree, Robot Americans.
9
Some of my best experiences were in hearing David Brin and William Gibson read their works aloud.
A computerized voice ... nah. Except for George Bush's memoirs ...
A computerized voice ... nah. Except for George Bush's memoirs ...
10
Anansi Boys is a perfect example. Whenever I know someone who wants to read that, I recommend the audio book, and it's been agreed that it was actually better than reading it.
Same thing with David Sedaris. Listening to him tell his stories is much better than just reading them.
Same thing with David Sedaris. Listening to him tell his stories is much better than just reading them.
11
Being able to read a book aloud is an accessibility issue, people with literacy or disabilities concerns should still have access even if it is prohibited by copyright.
Purchasing a book should give you the right to read it aloud as long as it is not a commercial pubic performance.
Copyright law need some major hacking to keep it out of the way of innovation.
Purchasing a book should give you the right to read it aloud as long as it is not a commercial pubic performance.
Copyright law need some major hacking to keep it out of the way of innovation.
12
They have the right.
Reading a book by automated means is a mechanical reproduction (which they have licensed) and not a derivative work.
Reading a book by automated means is a mechanical reproduction (which they have licensed) and not a derivative work.
13
You know, if we just reduced copyright to 17 years basic plus a renewable extension for further 17 years during the life of the human author, none of this would be a problem.
But right now something written during WW II can be copyright until 2050 even if the author died after assigning rights during combat in WW II ... and that is just plain wrong.
But right now something written during WW II can be copyright until 2050 even if the author died after assigning rights during combat in WW II ... and that is just plain wrong.
14
Asshole alert, Paul must be having a constipation day.
Paul,
you are an asshole sometimes. I love reading and I love audiobooks (which I constantly call books on tape though I am inevitably listening to a CD or MP3.) Listen to Cambell Scott read The Shining, listen to the cast of characters read A Long Way Down. There are tons of great reading of audiobooks. I love to listen to a particular Pride and Prejudice on audiobook over and over (my library also has an excruciatingly horrible one.)
Pull the fucking stick out of your asshole. Paul, I hate you sometimes, but thanks for the book recommendations.
Paul,
you are an asshole sometimes. I love reading and I love audiobooks (which I constantly call books on tape though I am inevitably listening to a CD or MP3.) Listen to Cambell Scott read The Shining, listen to the cast of characters read A Long Way Down. There are tons of great reading of audiobooks. I love to listen to a particular Pride and Prejudice on audiobook over and over (my library also has an excruciatingly horrible one.)
Pull the fucking stick out of your asshole. Paul, I hate you sometimes, but thanks for the book recommendations.
15
Those were the books I could remember off the top of my head. Don't go for stars that read unless they are known for their vocal prowess. I would imagine listening to Morgan Freeman would be a good thing.
Audiobooks make being an opera singer bareable. The hours in the car are much more pleasurable listening a good or great book.
Audiobooks make being an opera singer bareable. The hours in the car are much more pleasurable listening a good or great book.
16
MAC-MIL-LAN AU-DI-O PRE-SENTS: THE AU-TO-BI-O-GRA-PHY OF STE-PHEN HAW-KING. READ FOR YOU BY KIN-DLE TWO...
17
"They don't have the right to read a book out loud," said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild. "That's an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law."
1. This will make bedtime stories not much fun.
2. Last year was the 32nd anniversary of the Kurzweil Reading Machine, which liberated blind folks from having to wait for someone to read to them, or record a book for them. The horse Aiken is trying to corral is long out of the barn.
1. This will make bedtime stories not much fun.
2. Last year was the 32nd anniversary of the Kurzweil Reading Machine, which liberated blind folks from having to wait for someone to read to them, or record a book for them. The horse Aiken is trying to corral is long out of the barn.
18
As others have pointed out, there's no copyright infringement made by a machine which reads a work aloud. A version of the book being read aloud is a copyrightable derivative work. So you'd be infringing on the publisher's copyright by recording your Kindle reading aloud and selling that recording, but I kinda doubt that's going to come up often.
Also, William S Borroughs reading Naked Lunch is well worth a listen.
Also, William S Borroughs reading Naked Lunch is well worth a listen.
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