Brad Stone writes in the New York Times, following up on the Blount oped, that Amazon will allow copyright owners to decide whether to allow or prevent voice-rendering of the book on the Kindle 2 link here.

Here is the full text of Amazon's statement: "Kindle 2's experimental text-to-speech feature is legal: no copy is made, no derivative work is created, and no performance is being given. Furthermore, we ourselves are a major participant in the professionally narrated audiobooks business through our subsidiaries Audible and Brilliance. We believe text-to-speech will introduce new customers to the convenience of listening to books and thereby grow the professionally narrated audiobooks business. Customers tell us that with Kindle, they read more, and buy more books. We are passionate about bringing the benefits of modern technology to long-form reading." Nevertheless, we strongly believe many rights-holders will be more comfortable with the text-to-speech feature if they are in the driver's seat. Therefore, we are modifying our systems so that rightsholders can decide on a title by title basis whether they want text-to-speech enabled or disabled for any particular title. We have already begun to work on the technical changes required to give authors and publishers that choice. With this new level of control, publishers and authors will be able to decide for themselves whether it is in their commercial interests to leave text-to-speech enabled. We believe many will decide that it is. Customers tell us that with Kindle, they read more, and buy more books. We are passionate about bringing the benefits of modern technology to long-form reading."

Apparently the software on the Kindle will have to be altered, so it does not have immediate effect.

Amazon seems to be running from a potential fight. Too bad. It is de facto extending the power of copyright so that the owner is free to choose when he calculates it is not to his advantage. The consumer gets stuck again.

Since there are other book readers like the Kindle, it will be interesting to see if they go along with Amazon's decision. Is there a possible legal challenge here when Amazon allows copyright to be extended without either legislative or judicial justification?

After I initially posted this, I came across a long discussion on the legalities of this link here. That may help Amazon justify its decision to allow opt-in or -out. But the customer still gets cheated.

"Nevertheless, we strongly believe many rights-holders will be more comfortable with the text-to-speech feature if they are in the driver's seat."

Nobody should be in the driver's seat behind the wheel of MY car except ME. That applies also to MY computer, MY Kindle, and any other device that I own.

Amazon can stick that up their crack and smoke it.

Douchebags.