If we had outsourced the work and succeeded in creating the first great reader device, much of the knowledge and know-how would accrue outside Amazon, in the minds and methods of the outsourcer. Since the kind of partner we would need was typically in the business of building custom spec hardware for a wide range of clients, not just us, the outsourcer might further develop the technology and eventually offer a comparable or even better reader to other companies, including our competitors. We wanted to be the keepers of the intellectual property.
