Because sometimes I feel like it…

David Segal writes in the NY Times, Gadget Makers Can Find Thief, but Don’t Ask, about how high tech gadget manufacturers are being less than accommodating in disabling stolen or lost devices. It is partly an opinion and partly an interview of Mr. Borgese, a victim who recently lost his Kindle.

The claims are wide-spread, from sympathy:

If the company were to shut down a Kindle that had been erroneously reported as stolen, it might be accused of playing cop, judge and jury.

to accusations of greed:

“I finally concluded,” Mr. Borgese said, “that Amazon knew the device was being used and preferred to sell content to anyone who possessed the device, rather than assist in returning it to its rightful owner.”

Finally at the end Mr. Borgese proposes a solution, if you want to call it that:

Before a resold device could function, an e-mail message would be sent to the original owner, saying, in effect, “Click here to acknowledge that you’ve sold your Kindle.”

Unfortunately, the problem is much more complicated problem. Being too lenient would allow people to run scams or prank people. Being too strict would leave people feeling betrayed as Mr. Borgese was.

Personally I feel the current policy, requiring police action, is appropriate and any problems that exist should be addressed by the way police handle the issue. By requiring police action it holds claims legally accountable, something private business should not have to deal with.