Microsoft Is
Pressing Delete on Customers’ Digital Bookshelves
Physical
books can stay on a bookshelf forever, but Microsoft's latest moves shows that
when it comes to digital books, it's a completely different story.
Beginning in
July, Microsoft will delete every ebook purchase ever made through the
Microsoft Store, leaving customers with empty libraries they'll have to rebuild
elsewhere. That also includes free ebooks.
While the
books will be gone, Microsoft says it will refund customers for their
purchases. Additionally, anyone who made notes in a book will receive an extra
$25 credit to use in the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft
first announced it was getting out the book business in April, but said it
would start clearing out digital libraries in early July.
Microsoft
did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding why it's exiting
the book category. It was also unclear how many people would be affected.
Microsoft, which was no leader in ebooks, faced competition from Apple Books,
Amazon's Kindle store, and Google Play Books. The company still sells other
digital media, including games and movies.
While
someone owns a copy of a book they buy in a store, that often isn't the case
when it comes to digital media. However, it's not something that many people
consider when making online purchases.
A 2016 study
by researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law and UC
Berkeley found that a majority of customers who click the "buy now"
button on digital content mistakenly believe they own it, the same way they
would a book or a record.
"They
mistakenly believe they can keep those goods permanently, lend them to friends
and family, give them as gifts, leave them in their wills, resell them and use
them on their device of choice," the study says.
But the
world of digital rights is of course much more complicated. And as Microsoft is
showing this month, wiping out a digital library just takes a few clicks.
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