There is a certain body of water I have swum in, sailed on, and flown over at various points in my life. For centuries, since 1550, everyone has referred to it as the Gulf of Mexico.
So, please forgive me if, out of habit, I continue to do so. I admit, I’m not entirely on board with the trend of renaming things on a whim. There are certain things that should remain unchanged, and I’ll return to that thought shortly.
What has me concerned about things that should not be altered is the recent announcement from Amazon. As of the end of February, the company will no longer allow customers to download and save copies of the books they’ve purchased for reading on Kindle devices or in the Kindle app. Unfortunately, changing the rules governing digital books, music, videos, and other digital media we’ve bought and paid for is not a new phenomenon. And it seems there is little we can do about it.
Amazon made this rule change without fanfare, burying the news on its website in a way that likely left 99 percent of its customers unaware. Many may never even notice the change, as their Kindle devices and apps will continue to function as usual. The difference is that, going forward, customers will no longer be allowed to physically hold a copy of the digital books they purchase from Amazon. Any eBook you buy should now be considered a library loan: you no longer own it and can no longer keep it in your possession.
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