As I’ve been writing for weeks – the iPhone has an e-book application. It’s creating a stir because a mega load of people are using their iPhones as e-book readers. That’s not the news – the news is that the iPhone recently rejected/banned a book from their e-reader. Why? I’ll tell you. The book in question, David Carnoy’s Knife Music apparently had some objectionable content.
Here’s a sample of what was found offensive:
Apple cited this clause for rejecting the book:
“Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”
I wonder what the iPhone thinks about romance novels? The Sony e-reader doesn’t seem to have a problem with them since it uses romance novels in the marketing and promotion of their device.
Apple – wake up! People use the f word. They use it in high school, they use it at cocktail parties, they use it in boardrooms. When you’re writing a story, characters say and do things you might not like, you might even find offensive, but it’s a story. Are you going to reject stories that talk about murder? What about bank robberies? Ah, come on Apple, the list is freaking endless. See, this is why you shouldn’t be thinking with banning books for objectionable content. Every single person’s definition of objectionable is different. Even in romancelandia. Some won’t read erotica, some won’t read novels featuring m/m, and others won’t read books about menage. We’re in a democracy for a reason.
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PJ
on Jan 11th, 2009
@ 1:42 pm:
If Apple is banning books with “objectionable” content from the iPhone shouldn’t they also be banning songs with objectionable content? What makes the written word different?
Disclaimer: Just to be clear, I’m not in favor of Apple telling me what I can or cannot read or listen to. That’s not their decision.
Marisa
on Jan 11th, 2009
@ 1:56 pm:
Wow – I’m really surprised at apple! I’m with PJ on this – banning books – are we there again?? I have a hard time with anyone telling me what I can or can not do. If you don’t want to read a book – don’t buy it. If you don’t want to hear a song- don’t listen to it. If you don’t want to watch a movie or a television show – don’t buy a ticket and change the channel. We live in a land of free choice and it’s my choices that determine what content I will and will not engage in.
Gannon
on Jan 11th, 2009
@ 3:02 pm:
Amen, sistah!! If you don’t want to read or listen to “objectionable” content, you just don’t. One of the best things about America is our freedom of choice.
AJArend
on Jan 11th, 2009
@ 4:07 pm:
I’m torn on this because, while I get the whole argument of “if you don’t want to read a book don’t buy it” and how that goes hand in hand with freedom of choice in America, wouldn’t freedom of choice also include deciding what you will or won’t carry in your book store? Doesn’t Apple have the right to decide? Just as you wouldn’t want anyone telling you what you can and can’t read, if I were Apple, I wouldn’t want people telling me that I MUST carry something in my store. This title is available elsewhere. You can install an eBook reading software on your iPhone, and then download this book from any number of eBook websites. So it’s not as though Apple is completely stopping it from being sold and read. I do think that it’s a bit (ok, a LOT) hypocritical for Apple to not carry this book, but to go ahead and sell songs with the most explicit of lyrics on iTunes. BUT…again…freedom is also the freedom to be hypocritical if you want to. Like it or not.
Maria Lokken
on Jan 11th, 2009
@ 4:51 pm:
AJArend – I agree with freedom of choice – but when Apple (a very LARGE retailer) begins to state what is objectionable and what isn’t – there’s a WHOLE lot of stuff that won’t be available.
AJArend
on Jan 12th, 2009
@ 9:28 am:
Maria,
First of all, to call Apple a very LARGE retailer, at least where eBooks are concerned, is just not true. They’re not a big eBook seller in comparison to other eBook retailers out there. Second, while there may be a whole lot not available from APPLE, there’s always a retailer out there willing to carry books that Apple might find objectionable. You’ll always find it somewhere. So, just because Apple rejects it does not mean it won’t be available anywhere else. Writers won’t stop writing certain things just because it won’t be carried in the iPhone store. While I agree that there may be certain publishers that might choose not to publish a book based on something stupid like that, there are still plenty of publishers out there that won’t care about Apple, and will publish what they want, and market it elsewhere. I can’t imagine that there will ever be any book completely stifled from being released solely based on the fact that Apple may not carry it in their iPhone store. If that were the case, I’d maybe be more concerned, but it’s not, and it won’t ever be. Apple’s being stupid and hypocritical, I agree. But, again, they’ve got the freedom to be that way if they want.
BokLady
on Jan 17th, 2009
@ 12:18 pm:
Am I wronge but does not the Iphone and other’s download music with any content,so why just pick on books?Some music I heard is lot offensive and defamatory !My choice is to listen or not or read or not!