Quote:
Originally Posted by CyGuy
If the same book is cheaper in Thailand then someone is overcharging for the book here.
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Personally, I don't buy the just price theory. I make this point for those who do:
Grey market book binding and paper used to be much inferior. In as much as this is still true -- Wikipedia's
grey market article says quality has been improving -- your point is moot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
The only effect of this decision will be to stop the publication of such editions.
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I don't think so because the ruling ratified our status quo.
I suppose some bigger players might be tempted to enter the US retail grey market because of the ruling. But the market can't be overly large because of the FUD factor regarding the question of whether the import version is identical. Publishers issue a different ISBN number for overseas editions, and can easily change pagination.
Most students looking for a bargain will continue to buy used, and then sell the used book back to a store at the end of the semester. It is hard for the textbook grey market to compete against that business model.
P.S. Most US universities have textbooks kept on reserve for in-library reading, bringing the student price down to zero (or a little higher because the library is included in the tuition price). Our own children aren't spendthifts, but, unlike me, aren't real library-lovers either. So we've mostly let them buy used, with a little grey market, and a little--gulp--new.