Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
Mostly what would keep them from doing that is the understanding that Amazon will happily screw over the publishers. All the publishers understand that keeping the agency pricing is in their best interest. You assume that Amazon has the whip hand, but the only thing that gives Amazon the whip hand is the ability to run to Judge Cote crying about collusion again. That may not be so easily this time, with the press and appeals court watching.
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Amazon will sell ebooks no matter if it is agency or non-agency. Hachette has to decide how important agency pricing is to them, or rather how much they are willing to pay for it. If they go agency pricing with Amazon, and try to do non-agency with everybody else that should void the contract with Amazon - Amazon would be really stupid not to include such a clause. If they go non-agency with Amazon now, no other retailer would agree to agency pricing. The whip that Amazon has is the power to decline any agency pricing contract with Hachette now until it is clear which way they go when negotiating with Apple. Maybe Hachette is hoping for Apples appeal to go through and lift the limit of them having to negotiate alone.
I highly doubt it will happen in time before Hachette has to reveal their hand. Amazon may happily screw over Hachette, but don't for a second believe that Hachette wouldn't happily screw over Amazon.