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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11731928

Quote:11 November 2010 Last updated at 03:24 Share this pageFacebookTwitterShareEmailPrint
Row over Amazon sales of paedophile advice guide
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A self-published guide giving advice to paedophiles that is for sale through online retailer Amazon is stirring up controversy on the internet, with some threatening to boycott the website.

The availability of the Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover's Code of Conduct has led to questions over scrutiny on the site.

Amazon allows authors to submit their own books and shares revenue with them.

Amazon said it did not promote criminal acts, but also avoided censorship.

Before authors are able to sell a work on the site, they are asked to read a set of guidelines, which bans offensive materials.

But Amazon does not specifically state on its website what material it deems offensive, instead saying "probably what you would expect".

Boycott threat
Responding to the criticism, the retailer said in a statement: "Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable.

"Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."

The author, listed as Philip R Greaves II, argues that paedophiles are misunderstood and purports to offer advice to help them abide by the law.

Individuals on the micro-blogging website Twitter have asked Amazon to remove the book from its site, while some are threatening to boycott the retailer.

One Amazon user posted a comment on the site saying: "I have seen first hand the harm that people like the author of the book, and potential readers, do to children and to see a book like this on Amazon's 'shelves', so to speak, is very troubling to me."

The title is being sold for the Kindle electronic reader.

There is only one way for businessman who have no moral or ethical compass to know what is right and what is wrong, and that is for the public to tell them to withdraw the book or else lose their customer base.

I am a fairly regular customer of Amazon but have just done that.

I strongly urge other readers here to do the same.

Use the following ink to do so:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-u...&skip=true

1. click on the "Something else" button.

2. select "other non-order questions"

3. select "email"

4. Make your complaint known and "send email"

If anyone finds a more direct contact method please post it here.

So annoyed am I at this, that I have just phoned Amazon customer complaints department in the UK (0208 636 9200) to register a verbal as well as an email complaint about this offensive book.

I was informed that an internal email message across the Amazon business states that this book has been withdrawn from sale as of this morning.

Good David! I only wonder if they withdrew it due to the threat of a boycott and because that would hurt the brand and the bottom line. It seems as if they were quite happy to "support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions." I'd like to know how many they sold and if they will keep this money?

David Guyatt Wrote:So annoyed am I at this, that I have just phoned Amazon customer complaints department in the UK (0208 636 9200) to register a verbal as well as an email complaint about this offensive book.

I was informed that an internal email message across the Amazon business states that this book has been withdrawn from sale as of this morning.

Good going David. I believe our power to boycott companies, by refusing to shop and/or be employed by them, is about the only clout we have left. Nicely done.

I too sent an internal e-mail but I had already learned of the decision by Amazon to drop it. I did so anyway because I saw a Fox report stating that the author said Amazon would reverse itself and keep it in the catalog. :puke:

Found this thread looking for something else, and decided it was well worth reminding the forum....

I can think of no more important function of DPF than our commitment to vigilance such as that herein embodied.