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Amazon is offering to deliver new copies of 1984 and Animal Farm at no charge to those customers who had unlicensed Kindle editions deleted over the summer, reports the New York Times.
Amazon said in an e-mail message to those customers that if they chose to have their digital copies restored, they would be able to see any digital annotations they had made. Those who do not want the books are eligible for an Amazon gift certificate or a check for $30, the company said.
But neither the refunds nor the subsequent apology were enough for some critics, who said the incident underscored the depth of the restrictions built into the Kindle. Consumer advocates and civil libertarians say the system could allow courts or governments to force Amazon to recall, and in essence censor, books that they deem politically dangerous or embarrassing.