Why can I no longer buy books from the UK?

[hekkel]

I've bought several eBooks from the UK last year, some from Penguin directly and some from Waterstones. I was very surprised (and upset, frustrated) to find out I can no longer do this, now you have to be a UK citizen. How ridiculous. So I'm willing to pay this high price for recent eBooks and I'm not allowed to any-more?

I contacted Penguin and they claim it had to do with a technical problem with downloading books. Highly unlikely if you'd ask me. Waterstones didn't reply to my request for clarification yet, but WHSmith answered that if I was not allowed to buy certain books that would have to do with a publisher or author not willing to allow the 'export'.

I'm living in the Netherlands which is a member state of the same EU as the UK is part of. And the EU has laws that enforce free trade among its member states. Perhaps I have to start some legal action here?

Anyone else here having the same problem? Any suggestions on what to do about this?

edit: I found out that Waterstones still works. Just bought a book there to be sure. The same book still cannot be bought from Penguin nor WHSmith.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by hekkel

I've bought several eBooks from the UK last year, some from Penguin directly and some from Waterstones. I was very surprised (and upset, frustrated) to find out I can no longer do this, now you have to be a UK citizen. How ridiculous. So I'm willing to pay this high price for recent eBooks and I'm not allowed to any-more?

I contacted Penguin and they claim it had to do with a technical problem with downloading books. Highly unlikely if you'd ask me. Waterstones didn't reply to my request for clarification yet, but WHSmith answered that if I was not allowed to buy certain books that would have to do with a publisher or author not willing to allow the 'export'.

I'm living in the Netherlands which is a member state of the same EU as the UK is part of. And the EU has laws that enforce free trade among its member states. Perhaps I have to start some legal action here?

Anyone else here having the same problem? Any suggestions on what to do about this?

Use a VPN service to get a UK IP address. I usually buy at US stores because UK is more expensive, but I have bought at both stores mentioned for items not available in the US this way without problems --- while it didn't work with out IP masking.

[jhellingman]

I would contact the author directly, and politely explain him that his publisher is not allowing me to buy his book; and also that I have (at least in the Netherlands) the legal alternative means of downloading it from some unauthorized source, that unfortunately will not result in royalties being paid to him either, but that you are willing to donate such missed royalties directly to him.

Readers really should try to get authors on their side in their fight against customer unfriendly behaviour of publishers.

[EowynCarter]

Waterstone have put geographical restriction ? Ouch!
What's the book you where trying to get ?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by hekkel

I'm living in the Netherlands which is a member state of the same EU as the UK is part of. And the EU has laws that enforce free trade among its member states. Perhaps I have to start some legal action here?

EU free trade just stops governments from putting up barriers to trade. It doesn't require anyone to sell in all states if they sell in one.

My guess is that this is due to the publishing contract for the book. Perhaps the publisher only has UK rights to the book.

This will continue to be a problem so long as publishers (or authors/agents) insist on exclusive territorial rights for ebooks. The only real solution is for all publishers to take non-exclusive worldwide rights. I don't see this happening generally for many years.

[hekkel]

Originally Posted by jhellingman

I would contact the author directly, and politely explain him that his publisher is not allowing me to buy his book

Unfortunately, if the author is dead this can be difficult. But it is a good idea and I will do so whenever I can.

[hekkel]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Use a VPN service to get a UK IP address. I usually buy at US stores because UK is more expensive, but I have bought at both stores mentioned for items not available in the US this way without problems --- while it didn't work with out IP masking.

Won't work, the problem is that the sale is rejected the moment you try to pay for it using a credit-card. The error message afterward is telling me I'm not allowed to buy these books since I'm not in the UK which obviously has to do with the credit-card processor not allowing cards from outside the UK.

[Sweetpea]

And they still think it weird that people are looking for books in the darknet, if you can't even buy it...

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

And they still think it weird that people are looking for books in the darknet, if you can't even buy it...

I am seriously starting to believe that Geo restrictions is becoming a far greater issue than DRM currently is or perhaps ever will be.

Publishers have simply failed to learn from the woes of the music/movie industry.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by sabredog

I am seriously starting to believe that Geo restrictions is becoming a far greater issue than DRM currently is or perhaps ever will be.

Publishers have simply failed to learn from the woes of the music/movie industry.

Yes, it seems destined that groups will never learn from each other...

[hekkel]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Waterstone have put geographical restriction ? Ouch!
What's the book you where trying to get ?

Waterstone does not have the entire Penguin collection available. A quick search indicated they only offer Penguin Classic titles. This time I was looking for books by John Wyndham, Penguin has 6 of them, Waterstone only the 2 that are released as Penguin Classic.

However, maybe I should try to buy another book from Waterstone again to see if they limit my access. I'm not so sure anymore now that I look at their site again. But if you look at the whsmith site and search for John Wyndham's 'The Day of the Triffids' you'll notice it has 'limited availability'.

[colinsky]

Waterstones doesn't fully stock the Penguin Classics either -- as I noticed pricing Schopenhauer's Essays and Aphorisms which is ONLY available from the Penguin UK site, not from any other ebook retailer. I wonder why that would be?

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by hekkel

Won't work, the problem is that the sale is rejected the moment you try to pay for it using a credit-card. The error message afterward is telling me I'm not allowed to buy these books since I'm not in the UK which obviously has to do with the credit-card processor not allowing cards from outside the UK.

Did you try the old trick, using your real credit card address, but setting country to UK? If that alone doesn't work, try using a real UK postal code.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Yes, it seems destined that groups will never learn from each other...

Actually, never noticed the regional restrictions on itunes? The US store also has a much bigger selection and is much cheaper! So regional restrictions are still there in the music industry. Just DRM has disappeared.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by sabredog

I am seriously starting to believe that Geo restrictions is becoming a far greater issue than DRM currently is or perhaps ever will be.

Publishers have simply failed to learn from the woes of the music/movie industry.

Music and video is restricted too.

So there's an interesting possibility - if as seems likely a huge chunk of buying goes digital only - and the rate of sales stays around the same as now as far as people who want to buy stuff: then actual sales will go down, as the people in other countries that bought physical product before now can't buy because of restrictions.