Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Interesting News Tidbit from Publishers Weekly email

Check out this brief article from Publishers Weekly:

 Amazon Sues North Carolina over Demand for Customer Records

by Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 4/20/2010 10:16:49 AM

I would put the article in this post but I don't want to infringe on any copyrights.  The article is brief so go check it out.


My Thoughts:


At first I thought - what's the big deal - I know my state is in trouble revenue-wise, but what state isn't?  I understand they want to collect sales tax.  We have something in our tax forms that asks us put in our internet transactions, but honestly I have now clue how much I spend with Amazon and other e-tailers.  The no sales tax is not what draws me to purchase from e-tailers, I don't mind paying sales tax.  But the problem here is infringing on my rights.  My state government does not have a right to know what I read.  Will what I read put me on any lists? I seriously doubt it, but I think we've all heard of government lists for The Anarchist Cookbook and such like that, do any of us want to be labeled for what we read?

I doubt my romance and thriller purchases would land me on any such list, but does the state have a right to that information? I say no and will definitely side with Amazon on this one.  It's not about the money - it's about protecting my rights and others in the state of North Carolina who purchase books, movies, games and other things online.

So what do you think - is this a big deal or not?  Let me know.

1 comments:

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

I agree with you. I do not think that our states should be privy to what we purchase from an online retailer. I agree that it's a privacy issue and I would side with Amazon on this one as well.

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