However, Amazon also added that the experimental feature is legal: no copy is made, no derivative work is created, and no performance is being given. Furthermore, the company added, text-to-speech will contribute to the professionally narrated audio books business.

 

But Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, told the Wall Street Journal last month that they don’t have the right to read a book out loud,that being an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law.

 

The Authors Guild also warned earlier this month that the new function added to Kindle 2 represents a significant challenge to the publishing industry. Furthermore, they advised publishers to contractually prohibit its machine from adding audio functionality to its e-books without authorization.

 

They also added that while bundling audio books and e-books has been under discussion for a while now, and it may be a good idea, it shouldn’t be accomplished by fiat by an e-book distributor.

 

Just to make sure there will be no more confusions, Amazon said it will now depend on the publishers and authors to decide whether it’s in their best commercial interest to leave text-to-speech enabled. Amazon officially introduced the new feature on February 9, when Kindle 2 finally surfaced.