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Originally Posted by Giggleton
One of the neat things about ebooks, and digital/digitally printed physical goods is that there does not need to be any more retailers.
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Technically, no, but I don't see publishers cutting out the middle man completely any time soon.
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It feels like you're talking about first sale rights? Or something similar?
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I am talking about publishers setting the price: obviously they can ask what they want (or can get) from the bookseller, but they really mustn't be allowed to set "minimum retail prices", which is what this whole agency collusion amounts to.
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Are companies like Amazon still ordering ebooks from publishers at set prices?
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Yes, of course. I don't expect them to order fixed quantities, but publisher X says "this title costs you, I dunno, $3.95 if you sell at least 10,000 copies". Traditionally they were free to choose their own retail price (factoring in the various overheads, profit and what not.) Now it's become "... you must charge $12.99 and can keep 50%." I'm making these numbers up, but the principle remains.
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Rather than just acting as a marketing facade?
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Amazon sells book from practically all publishers. Whose facade would they be but their own?