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Kindle credit?
- MLE (Emily Cotton)
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 3566
- Joined: August 2008
- Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
- Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
- Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
- Location: California Bay Area
Kindle credit?
Today I got an email from Amazon saying I might have a credit coming due to a settlement in an antitrust suit against the big six (Simon & Shuster, Hachette, Harper Collins, et al) regarding their 'agency model' (publisher sets the price, not retailer) move of a couple years back. Anybody know more about this?
I think Dear Author has covered it quite a bit, so you might try searching their blog. Something to do with price fixing among the big publishers and a settlement with the government and credits going back to consumers.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
I got the same email. There were news stories about this in September. Here's one from CNN: http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/06/technol ... index.html
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/
- Mythica
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: November 2010
- Preferred HF: European and American (mostly pre-20th century)
- Location: Colorado
- Contact:
I've been following this for a while - it started in Europe last year (read the latest on that here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/se ... sfeed=true ) and soon after, the Department of Justice in the US filed suit against Apple and the five of the six major publishers (Random House was excluded) as well. Essentially, they conspired to raise ebook prices which violates antitrust laws. Three of the publishers almost immediately backed down and agreed to settle (the email you got being a result of which) - Apple and the two remaining publishers, Penguin (surprise, surprise) and Macmillan, decided to fight it. Apparently, they have a court date in June 2013 to defend themselves. I really don't see how they can! I just have to hope reason and sense prevail and the courts don't rule in their favor.
Apparently, they conspired to do this because Amazon was selling ebooks at a loss in order to run their competitors out of business. So the settlement terms also include that Amazon's total sales for each publisher must at least break even overall. So they can sell some books at a loss but they have to make up for it by selling others for a gain. They can not undersell everything.
There's actually a quote from Steve Jobs in his biography which claims these were his comments on situation:
Amazon screwed it up. It paid the wholesale price for some books, but started selling them below cost at $9.99. The publishers hated that they thought it would trash their ability to sell hardcover books at $28. So before Apple even got on the scene, some booksellers were starting to withhold books from Amazon. So we told the publishers, Well go to the agency model, where you set the price, and we get our 30%, and yes, the customer pays a little more, but thats what you want anyway. But we also asked for a guarantee that if anybody else is selling the books cheaper than we are, then we can sell them at the lower price too. So they went to Amazon and said, Youre going to sign an agency contract or were not going to give you the books.
This is why I hate when people idolize Steve Jobs.
I think it was deemed inadmissible in court as hearsay but it's obviously an accurate account of what happened and there's plenty of other evidence of that or the law suits and settlements wouldn't be taking place.
What concerns me is that the settlement terms only last for a few years or so. When it's expired, will Amazon go back to selling ebooks at a loss to drive others out of business and if so, will some other conspiracy to raise prices occur in response? Or has everyone learned their lesson like good little boys and girls and realized they can't get away with it?
Apparently, they conspired to do this because Amazon was selling ebooks at a loss in order to run their competitors out of business. So the settlement terms also include that Amazon's total sales for each publisher must at least break even overall. So they can sell some books at a loss but they have to make up for it by selling others for a gain. They can not undersell everything.
There's actually a quote from Steve Jobs in his biography which claims these were his comments on situation:
Amazon screwed it up. It paid the wholesale price for some books, but started selling them below cost at $9.99. The publishers hated that they thought it would trash their ability to sell hardcover books at $28. So before Apple even got on the scene, some booksellers were starting to withhold books from Amazon. So we told the publishers, Well go to the agency model, where you set the price, and we get our 30%, and yes, the customer pays a little more, but thats what you want anyway. But we also asked for a guarantee that if anybody else is selling the books cheaper than we are, then we can sell them at the lower price too. So they went to Amazon and said, Youre going to sign an agency contract or were not going to give you the books.
This is why I hate when people idolize Steve Jobs.
I think it was deemed inadmissible in court as hearsay but it's obviously an accurate account of what happened and there's plenty of other evidence of that or the law suits and settlements wouldn't be taking place.
What concerns me is that the settlement terms only last for a few years or so. When it's expired, will Amazon go back to selling ebooks at a loss to drive others out of business and if so, will some other conspiracy to raise prices occur in response? Or has everyone learned their lesson like good little boys and girls and realized they can't get away with it?
- Rowan
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: August 2008
- Interest in HF: I love history, but it's boring in school. Historical fiction brings it alive for me.
- Preferred HF: Iron-Age Britain, Roman Britain, Medieval Britain
- Location: New Orleans
- Contact:
Kindle Book Refunds?
Did anyone else get an email from Amazon regarding potential refunds of some monies related to Kindle book purchases?
I'm not exactly understanding where this is coming from if Amazon isn't being sued. Of course I'm not balking at the money being returned to me, paltry though the sum may be, I just want to understand why.
I just know one of you brilliant people will be able to explain it to me.
I'm not exactly understanding where this is coming from if Amazon isn't being sued. Of course I'm not balking at the money being returned to me, paltry though the sum may be, I just want to understand why.
I just know one of you brilliant people will be able to explain it to me.
- Mythica
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: November 2010
- Preferred HF: European and American (mostly pre-20th century)
- Location: Colorado
- Contact:
There's another topic on it here: http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... php?t=5971
It's not Amazon being sued, it's the publishers. For a few years now, the "big six" publishers have had the right to set their own ebook prices and the Department of Justice filed charges against them for conspiracy to raise ebook prices. Since Amazon have no control over ebook pricing for the big-six, they have nothing to do with it and are not being sued. There's more detail in the other topic.
It's not Amazon being sued, it's the publishers. For a few years now, the "big six" publishers have had the right to set their own ebook prices and the Department of Justice filed charges against them for conspiracy to raise ebook prices. Since Amazon have no control over ebook pricing for the big-six, they have nothing to do with it and are not being sued. There's more detail in the other topic.
[quote=""Rowan""]Sorry I didn't realise there was already a thread about it. If the mods want to close or delete this one...[/quote]
Combined threads.
Combined threads.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be