Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
But this doesn't seem to affect any other eBook retailer. I can go to MobiPocket, FictionWise, BooksOnBoard, or dozens of other eBook stores and buy eBooks regardless of my geographical location. Why should Sony impose this geographical restriction when all these other retailers don't?
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MobiPocket is probably a bad example in this case. They're not in the US, so I doubt they're buying US-only rights. Also, their dealer network includes US companies like FictionWise. Most of the titles being sold in secure MobiPocket are being bought wholesale from MobiPocket. People like FictionWise aren't dealing with the publisher, in that case, they're dealing with MobiPocket.
For the other formats, the e-booksellers may well be going through Ingram/LightningSource, but I don't know that. I doubt a lot of the resellers are contracted directly with the major publishers, but I could be wrong.
The problem seems to occur when there is no middle man, as it is with Sony and Amazon's Kindle.