[Zev]

...that doesn't change the fact that their app operates in a grey area of copyright infringement.

Like I mentioned earlier: I'm not as informed in copyright law as I would like. Would you mind pointing out to me where this is a grey area? Since I'm personally an American citizen, where - in the US Code, the DMCA, or some other law that we have - is this a grey area?

[jrockway]

It's not a grey area. Buying a book and skimming the boring parts is not illegal.

[natrius]

Making a copy of the book without the boring parts is illegal. This is what I think Instapaper does.

[jrockway]

It's perfectly legal if you do it for your own personal use.

[natrius]

Instapaper does it for commercial use. If the iPhone app does it client side, then it is probably legal. If it's server side, probably not.

[jrockway]

HTTP proxies that modify content are legal. How is this not an HTTP proxy?

[Zev]

Thats basically what I thought. Perhaps I should have said "Where you think this is this a grey area."