There’s been a lot of furore recently about the new app that is about – Clean Reader. It gives the reader of an electronic book the ability to change words they don’t like, into less “offensive” words. There are three levels to Clean Reader. Clean, Really clean and Squeaky clean. Clean basically blocks out the F word and you move on up from there depending on your level of word offence or who you are giving the book to read – children is the example.
The furore has mostly been about the fact that this app has changed the words written by the author. That the author intended that specific word to be in the text and meaning could be changed. The makers of Clean Reader have this to say on the matter of copyright.
Is Clean Reader legal or does it break copyright law?
We’ve discussed this with several lawyers and they have all agreed that Clean Reader does not violate copyright law because it doesn’t make changes to the file containing the book. All Clean Reader does is change the way the content is displayed on the screen. The user has the option of turning off the profanity filtering tool if desired. No changes are made to the original book the user downloads when they buy a book.
So there’s no issue for them there. Though obviously a lot of authors are still upset. Their books are being changed in the reading.
The reason for this post is something came into my head today and it’s something I haven’t heard mentioned about the app or the reasons for its making. The app owners created it because one of their children came home from school upset because they were enjoying a book but it had had a swear word in it, so they created Clean Reader.
But…
the funny thing is, on the Clean Reader site is a screenshot for users and potential users to see how it works and this is the shot.
See anything funny about it?
That nasty awful word has disappeared and the readers sensibilities are all nicely intact.
Sensibilities intact? But they’re blood thirsty, murder loving, crime genre reading fans. “The man carried about him an air of violence like a volcano about to erupt” “I’ll gut you like a fish-” It sounds like it could be a violently graphic book.
Shallow Waters only has the F word in it a handful of times. But it’s not always easy reading and there’s nothing Clean Reader is going to help you out with. I lay the ground work and the reader gets to picture the rest.
It was just a thought I had this morning….
What do you think of the new app?
Alex J. Cavanaugh (@AlexJCavanaugh) says
Clean Reader can’t block the flavor of the book, which might be worse than the actual language.
I had one reviewer state that she enjoyed the portion of my book she read, but couldn’t finish because of the language. (A couple damns and asses.) It would help her. Then again, the fact it changes what the writer wrote and the impact of the words is not cool.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly Alex. It’s not just the odd word that can be offensive but the text as a whole.
abrammag says
I think it opens out a new world of books for those whose religion allows them to read only “clean” books. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints being one. Therefore, authors will get more readers, more exposure and everyone should be happy.
Rebecca Bradley says
Forgive my ignorance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints here, but is it just words that are not allowed to be read? because my thought process on this is that the text as a whole could be more offensive than the odd word in there. What does the Church think of such text being read? And I’m not trying to be offensive, I’m trying to understand. But if it is just the words, and it does bring more (specific kinds of readers) to books, then that’s a good thing.
MarinaSofia says
I don’t like books or films where every second word seems to be a swear word (especially a repetitive one, when there are so many more interesting alternatives out there), but I never quite understood why people feel so offended by it. Seems to me like the news images every day are far more distressing and offensive. As you say, no one can protect us completely and make our lives squeaky clean… and, anyway, would that be real life?
Rebecca Bradley says
I agree Marina, that the repetitiveness of some words is just uncalled for. Actions can say as much as words as well as choosing alternative words. But if writing crime, then the odd word is likely to be in there because, well, that world tends to be the world that speaks in that language.
Margot Kinberg says
Thanks for bringing this up, Rebecca. I do wonder what the overall effect of apps like Clean Reader will be. On the one hand, as you say very well, Clean Reader doesn’t change the plot of a book. And it doesn’t appear to violate copyright. I always have concerns when words are changed though. I think there is such a thing as too much ‘salty language’ in a book, chiefly because it’s not particularly inventive. And certainly people have the right to choose not to read something if they find it offensive. That said though, I also wonder what these kinds of apps will soon be able to do. Will they be able to remove other words that some people find offensive? And if so, does that change the flavour of a book? I suppose another way of putting my thought is this: At what point do word changes actually change the story, even if they don’t change the events?
Rebecca Bradley says
I have heard of some instances where the squeaky clean version of the app does change some words so much that it would change the flavour of the book Margot. It completely changes a word to another that isn’t even close to what the original word means. But it confuses me why would people be reading the types of book where this language is likely to be in?
Jose Ignacio says
Frankly I think the reader has the option to read or not to read certain books, but I’m totally against this app; it seems to me a kind of censorship.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly Jose. I’m confused as to why a reader is reading a certain book in the first place. Crime books for instance have some awful storylines so what are removing a few words going to do it?
readingwrites says
I think it’s absolutely outrageous, if you don’t want to read a book don’t read it. Go away and write your own book that suits you.
I find it so typical of the UK and the US: no-one is allowed to be offended by anything. The problem is it can only get worse as kids are mollycoddled from the cradle onwards. I despair.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly, just don’t read the book. How can you say you like this specific author if you want to change their words? And mollycoddling can go too far. I want my kids to be safe but I want them to be aware. There has to be a balance. The reason the app was made was because their child was upset by a book they were reading. It wasn’t the parent that made the choice it wasn’t appropriate, but at that point, they should have just said the child wasn’t ready for that book. It’s hard I suppose when the world is a big place and we all live by different values. I’m just bemused that someone would want to read a violent book with a clean reader!
Christine says
Just very odd. And incredibly funny at the same time. Whatever next! Are we going to get PG versions of books in paperback form with words blackened out or with nice tame words in? Can’t people just read other books, if they get easily offended by a swear word?
Rebecca Bradley says
I wonder what book it was the child was reading? It must have been an adult book because no kids author would put a swear word in. But their are levels if words that people take offence at, so it may have been a YA and the child was a bit younger?
Jacqui Murray says
As a teacher, I constantly had parents proud that their children could read advanced books, forgetting that the 2nd and 3rd graders would then be introduced to words we try to hide them from at least until… later (whenever that it). I can see this would be a good compromise for those students and parents.
Rebecca Bradley says
My youngest is an advanced reader, and is now choosing books from the YA shelves. I was a little surprised when he read a bit out because he needed help with a new word and someone was getting murdered (it was the Time Travellers series) but he was ok and carried on reading. It is a balance that parents need to decide on. He is going into secondary school next school year, he’s not 6! 🙂
readingwrites says
Any child aged 11yrs or over who has not encountered a swear word does not attend school.
islesfreelance says
The author chose those words for a very specific reason. NEVER change what the author has written.
islesfreelance says
It’s like when I’m reading the ******* torture report…. ahem… FUCKING torture report, and all of the important details are blackened out with the redacting sharpie of death.
Rebecca Bradley says
Exactly, is the torture not more offensive than the word? It bemuses me….
D.A. Cairns says
Stupid, and I understand why authors are upset. Gruesome, graphic violence? Okay. Sexually explicit content? Okay. Swear words? Not okay. Please explain.