Being a fan of Neal Stephenson's work I was keen to buy/download his latest book REAMDE. However to my disappointment Kobobooks didn't list this title for me in AU (using a US proxy I can see that it is offered there). I systematically went through all the other stores selling to AU and low and behold the only store that would sell me an eBook is the Kindle store. Now my question is why?

I could understand if not offered in my region period. I could understand if offered for different prices in different e-stores... but the situation as is, is just stupid and makes no sense.

I'm also curious what people do in these senarios? Do they format convert? Do they have accounts with fudged details and use VPNs/Proxy's to get the books they are after, or do they just hit the many pirate links that pop up when one searches for said ebook.

Because some company might not have the right to sell in a country, and it seems that a lot think that the USA is the only country in the world. I do not know if it's really copyright laws or something, but I am sure that what people do is pirate it instead. It is so much easier, when will these company learn?

But I ask is this book not available only in eBook form or in paper form also? Because I know that it is almost not possible to find french book (legally that is).

I'd download the book and send a letter directly to the author telling him that you can't buy his book because his publisher doesn't do anything and the only way to have it is illegally, maybe he can shake them enough that some day they might wake up.

It seems unrealistic that Kobo would want to deprive a customer of a file they would like to pay for. I suspect this is a licensing problem; Kobo does not have a license to distribute the file in your region. Perhaps the publisher signed an exclusive license with another distributor.

I think this is more of a publisher problem than a Kobo problem.

I seem to be running into this problem more and more with Kobo I find that the book is available to Australians from Amazon but not from Kobo its annoying as I prefer to buy in epub when possible.

But I ask is this book not available only in eBook form or in paper form also? Because I know that it is almost not possible to find french book (legally that is).

It's available in hardback locally, paperback via numerious online stores, only in eBook in other regions (US for sure, others unsure), and via the Kindle store (eBook) locally.

I'd download the book and send a letter directly to the author telling him that you can't buy his book because his publisher doesn't do anything and the only way to have it is illegally, maybe he can shake them enough that some day they might wake up.

I can get the book, just not as a .epub locally. As I said if it wasn't available period as an ebook locally I'd understand (region restrictions), but the exception of Amazon points to some screwy distribution practises.

It seems unrealistic that Kobo would want to deprive a customer of a file they would like to pay for. I suspect this is a licensing problem; Kobo does not have a license to distribute the file in your region. Perhaps the publisher signed an exclusive license with another distributor.

I think this is more of a publisher problem than a Kobo problem.

Not saying that it is directly a Kobo issue, but indirectly it is when Amazon is the store that will sell it to me. As a consumer I don't care what the behind the scene reasons may be, all I see is I can get it there and not here.

I seem to be running into this problem more and more with Kobo I find that the book is available to Australians from Amazon but not from Kobo its annoying as I prefer to buy in epub when possible.

As do I, but if it is the only available option for an ebook version of said book it is the likely avenue I will take, and then proceed to format shift. It's just so dang stupid.