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You must all know that this has been discussed numerous times since before the agency model went into effect earlier this year. Surprised that no one has mentioned that Apple was getting ready to open its ibook store and would only sign with publishers who would renegotiate their agreements with Amazon AND other ebook publishers. Amazon WAS selling new and best-selling books at 9.99 for more than two years. They were taking a loss. With the agency model, they are not allowed to take the loss. Hence, it's the consumer/reader who loses.
Random House did not enter into the agency model. I don't think that they sell on Apple's Ibooks. Not sure if Apple relented since this all started, but this is the reason you can find books published by Random House and its subsidiaries for 9.99. Occasionally now I see higher-priced ebooks at Amazon that are not set by the publisher, which I cannot understand. The publishers of those books are not a party to the agency model (rip-off).
Most of what I know about this is from last Feb.-April. I don't know if there have been any further developments, but the agency model agreements with Amazon and other booksellers are for one year.
Penguin negotiated their deal with Amazon later than the others and set their ebook prices even higher than the others.
All of the ebook sellers have to use the prices set by the publishers who have done this nasty thing to consumers/readers. All this while we are in the biggest employment recession since the Great Depression.
I don't buy hardcover books. I used to buy some non-fiction hardcovers, but I always preferred to wait for the pback. I have a huge collection of ebooks and paper books (not read yet) and will not buy ebooks that are priced so excessively nor their paper book counterparts. I also use the public library for reading some ebooks.
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