Penguin Georgraphical Restrictions

[ascherjim]

Being a U.S. resident I've been much sympathetic -- from afar -- to those ebook readers that cannot purchase DRM titles because of publishers' geographical restrictions. But now the situation has struck closer to home, and I too am now very upset. Penguin titles I have assumed are universally available in both the U.K. and the U.S. (and around the world). Now I've tried to order the Penguin volume of all the essays of Montaigne, which is available in the EPub format from W.H. Smith (from which source I've purchased many e-titles formerly) and I'm told that geographical restrictions prevent W.H. Smith from selling me that title. (The Penguin paper volume of the same title has been readily available for sale in the U.S., and significantly discounted, since 1992.) Why would Penguin impose this restriction? Aren't they interested in selling their product? Ok, you guys and gals in Australia and New Zealand, you have a new ally in me (as if that's worth anything).

[wallcraft]

Like US retailers used to, WHSmith does not mention the geographic restriction until you get into the checkout process.

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Like US retailers used to, WHSmith does not mention the geographic restriction until you get into the checkout process.

Now I am completely confused. Whereas W.H. Smith wouldn't let me purchase this title, I have gone to Waterstones and purchased and downloaded it without a problem, although it cost me $3 more. I used the same address and credit card in both attempts.

[krischik]

Originally Posted by ascherjim

Now I am completely confused. Whereas W.H. Smith wouldn't let me purchase this title, I have gone to Waterstones and purchased and downloaded it without a problem, although it cost me $3 more. I used the same address and credit card in both attempts.

This too I have seen a lot of times. If a book is restricted in one shop try another shop - you might get it there. If that does not help go to the darknet. In the darknet no one cares where you come from.

[Blue Tyson]

Be good to have some Americans telling them they are losing sales, too, ascherjim. I'd like to see someone ask about it at an AGM, see what happens.

Why? The only reason I can work out is that their management is stuck in 1985.

Some companies have lawyers that are perfectly capable of working out contracts for nonexclusive worldwide rights. Not sure the Penguin variety would too bloody stupid to be able to do so - that doesn't make sense, so it has to be higher up mulishness.

It would seem that aggressively defending copyright territories for electronic material, apart from being silly, will reduce sales for everyone.

As mentioned, more people will turn to the free variety, and some of them will never pay again, ever, and some will just never contemplate buying that title, ever.

So lowering sales, and reducing the long term size of your market would not appear to be something you would generally want to advocate to capitalists, I believe.

Certainly an odd case of American companies not using their advantages.

[Blue Tyson]

But essays of Montaigne - sounds like something old and French? Is that not online already, or is there a particular translation or analysis of them in the book?

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

But essays of Montaigne - sounds like something old and French? Is that not online already, or is there a particular translation or analysis of them in the book?

It's the latest translation (1992). The Gutenberg and other free sources only have the English translation from 1650 or so! Homer's 1990 (highly-regarded Fagle) translation of The Odyssey is available as an ebook, but not Fagle's 1998 translation of The Iliad. The only ebook translation of The Iliad is about 100 years old, available both free and for modest fees. No sense why one Fagle translation would be available and not the other, since both have (for their somewhat limited-interest subject matter) been top sellers.

[Blue Tyson]

Right. "No sense" is certainly an operative word - Odyssey/Iliad won't be flying off the shelves but will continue to sell pretty much forever, you would think.