MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Interesting article on book pricing and why it might rise

Snibborg · 11-27-2010, 06:04 PM

@DMcCunney. I appreciate what you are saying and accept that, at present, it is easier to get ebooks from Amazon than to download pirated versions.

However, until Napster came along, that's what everyone said about pirated music at that time. There was no easy way of obtaining the music you wanted without going down to the record store and buying. The problem is that technology has ways of making liars of us all. It took Napster 6 months to have the record companies running round in circles. They tried to litigate the problem away and spawned the torrent model and Limewire, something they have been trying to stamp out ever since.

The problem is that each time the book publishing companies try to interrupt the flow of information, be that DRM restrictions or price rises, it drives the very people they want to attract into the arms of the pirates. Quite simply it's an unsustainable model in exactly the same way that the music industry was. The difference is that the book companies have the opportunity to learn from the music industries mistakes, the question is: will they?

Time will tell, but mark my words well, the next 12 months will tell whether the book companies can survive the coming storm. Unfortunately they have not got off to a good start.

11-27-2010, 06:04 PM	#39
Snibborg Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Cheshire, UK Device: Kindle 3	@DMcCunney. I appreciate what you are saying and accept that, at present, it is easier to get ebooks from Amazon than to download pirated versions. However, until Napster came along, that's what everyone said about pirated music at that time. There was no easy way of obtaining the music you wanted without going down to the record store and buying. The problem is that technology has ways of making liars of us all. It took Napster 6 months to have the record companies running round in circles. They tried to litigate the problem away and spawned the torrent model and Limewire, something they have been trying to stamp out ever since. The problem is that each time the book publishing companies try to interrupt the flow of information, be that DRM restrictions or price rises, it drives the very people they want to attract into the arms of the pirates. Quite simply it's an unsustainable model in exactly the same way that the music industry was. The difference is that the book companies have the opportunity to learn from the music industries mistakes, the question is: will they? Time will tell, but mark my words well, the next 12 months will tell whether the book companies can survive the coming storm. Unfortunately they have not got off to a good start.