Quote:
Originally Posted by stonetools
So? They can write their own letters. As it is, is pretty clear that the DOJ has taken the viewpoint that lower prices for the consumers in the short term trump all, so the 'consumer advocates ' likely see no reason to write.
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I'm guessing most folks outside certain interest groups (we being one) don't have a clue about this.
I first heard about the agency model here. I was really miffed. I couldn't imagine how they could get away with it. It seemed like a clear cut case of price fixing.
Reading more about it, and learning of the subtle distinctions between what they're doing and true price fixing, I really do get why the publishers felt they had to go this direction; and I agree that it might just be necessary to get them even a slim profit margin.
I wasn't
convinced of that by supporters on this set of forums, that's for sure; most of what I read here is rants against it.
One thing is for sure, if they can't figure out a way to compete--to at least reap that slim margin of profit-- they'll go under. We'll see it happening when they start merging (picture Harper Collins Penguin for a sad laugh), or worse, being bought out by Amazon.
Also interesting, to me at least, I used to have a pretty low opinion of publisher's in general (from old 'gatekeeper' arguments). It wasn't until I started reading rants against publishers posted here that I began to see their real value.
Ergo: most rants here seem to have the opposite effect than that intended.
