[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Says the one lapping up what the libraries are saying or overdrive.

I have no stake in it. The only reason I won't sign the petition is, because it doesn't effect me. When I am going to the library I expect that I have to wait. I believe it is better not to vote for or against something when I am making a decision for others. Discussing it? Sure I am up to that. A lot can be learned.

Of the parties involved, the libraries, overdrive, and the publishers only one can exist without the others. Which is going to make me question them slightly less than the two who would dwindle without the third.

Only overdrive cannot exist without publisher or library. Libraries don't depend on overdrive and will still exist with a limited list of publishers. They are existing right now with a limited list of publishers.

I also don’t believe everything that the publishers say. However they are a for profit business. As such their motives are rather basic they want to maximize profits.

They cannot afford to maximize profits at all costs. Publishers are not always doing things in the best interest of profit. Penguin Random, for example, is a lot nicer to libraries than Macmillan, even before this current mess. For profit? Nah, don't think so. They simply are more interested in a good relationship with the libraries. Libraries are important, even if they are less capitalistic and more socialistic in nature.

The libraries are a non profit. They’re going to seek to get whatever they want for the least they possibly can, doing the least they have to. And before you get bent out of shape I said libraries not librarians. So when they say the publishers deal is totally unfair but the details of that deal don’t support their claim and they resort to depriving the public of a part of their service I’m not going to pay their continued cries much heed.

You are the only one calling it "depriving the public of a part of their service". Actually, if they wouldn't boycott they are depriving the public of equal access during the embargo time. I am not sure how exactly they will go about it - it could be interpreted that after 8 weeks a book out of embargo can be bought, or that any book subject to the embargo at the beginning is a no buy forever. I suspect it is the former, because the librarians argument for the boycott is the inability to meet demand of their patrons. And no, your argument that one copy is better than no copy, is incorrect. It is contrary to the equal access for everybody in a timely fashion. There is also a chance that Macmillan changes tack sometime and stops further embargos. It would be silly to continue the boycott after a policy change, as it is impossible to undo the embargo in the past after it has been lifted. (Unless a time machine ... No, I don't believe in the possiblity of a time machine, otherwise we would already have one )

Finally overdrive which has a everything to lose if publishers stop providing ebooks to libraries I’m going to scrutinize everything they say and what they don’t say.

Stop providing ebooks forever or temporarily after release? Sure they depend on publishers to provide ebooks, but that really is not getting them any money until a library purchases a license. Shouldn't OD complain about libraries for planning their boycott thingy?

As to agency pricing if you really want to beat that dead horse, publishers will set a price at a point where they get the most sales at the highest price. If you don’t like the price don’t buy the product. If enough people agree with you the price will be adjusted down. However it seems more people feel the prices are reasonable. No amount of people crying about “unfair” pricing is going to change that while people are still buying the product.

Apparently they are not buying enough, or you wouldn't have people that buy ebooks go to the library to consume Big5 ebooks without buying for themselves.