Amazon apologizes: Crisis response defuses Kindle copyright row

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Time moves faster on the internet, or so it seems; you can order a product or make a booking in minutes. News travels faster too – as Amazon.com found out to their cost in 2009. The trouble started when they deleted some e‐books from their servers after discovering that the third‐party seller did not own the copyright – so legally, the books should never have been sold. Kindle owners who had bought and downloaded them were given a refund, but were – to say the least – surprised when books vanished from their Kindle e‐book reader with no advance notice. By the next day, critical comments were being posted on the Kindle Community discussion board. What was worse, the deleted books included George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984. Commentators were quick to draw parallels with the world of Orwell's Big Brother and the row soon spread to social media and the traditional press. Amazon had a full‐scale communications crisis on their hands, threatening the company's reputation.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2013), "Amazon apologizes: Crisis response defuses Kindle copyright row", Strategic Direction, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 10-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/SD-04-2013-0004