Amazon and Bertelsmann turn off text to speech even in Kindle books that have zero price

At least four imprints of Random House (Ballantine, Dell, Del Rey and Spectra) have turned off text to speech in Kindle books that they give away at a zero price. Random House is owned by Bertelsmann AG, the German publishing giant. What is the rationale for soundproofing* these books?

Here are some examples of DRM’d soundproof books that are free to Kindle users who do not have visual impairments.

[*George Kerscher and Jim Fruchterman, “The Soundproof Book: Exploration of Rights Conflict and Access to Commercial EBooks for People with Disabilities,” First Monday, Volume. 7, Number 6 – 3 June 2002.]

Kiss of Midnight (Kindle Edition)

by Lara Adrian (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Dell (May 1, 2007)

His Majesty’s Dragon (Kindle Edition)
by Naomi Novik (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled

Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 28, 2006)

Assassin’s Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
by Robin Hobb (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Spectra (November 5, 2002)

Weapons of Choice (Axis of Time, Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
by John Birmingham (Author)

Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 1, 2004)

Elric: The Stealer of Souls (Kindle Edition)
by Michael Moorcock (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 19, 2008)

For Love of Mother Not (Kindle Edition)

by Alan Dean Foster (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 26, 2002)

Settling Accounts Return Engagement: Book One of the Settling Accounts Trilogy (Kindle Edition)
by Harry Turtledove (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 3, 2004)

Red Mars (Kindle Edition)
by Kim Stanley Robinson (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Spectra (May 27, 2003)

Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! (Kindle Edition)
by Terry Brooks (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00

Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Del Rey (December 17, 2008)

Blood Engines (Kindle Edition)
by T.A. Pratt (Author)
Kindle Price: $0.00
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Publisher: Spectra (September 25, 2007)

For more on soundproof books:
http://www.readingrights.org

https://www.keionline.org/blogs/2009/05/17/sound-proof-books/
https://www.keionline.org/blogs/2009/06/07/kindle2-more-tts-off/

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