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Tuna · 10-02-2009, 05:07 AM

We're in a transition period, basically.

I'd say the publishing industry is roughly where the games industry was ten years ago with regards to things like regional restrictions. For now a lot of it really doesn't make sense, but consumer pressure and evolution of the legal framework will (hopefully) iron out the gross inconsistencies.

If you buy an ebook reader right now, you're in the same position as if you bought a laser disc player in the early nineties. You might have backed the right horse, but you're not going to know for a couple of years. At least in the short term, you have to accept that you can't just pop to your local convenience store and buy new content. There's no point getting upset by it - you made the choice to spend your money on 'emerging technology'.

In that respect, if the book you wish to buy isn't available electronically, you still have the option of buying the physical version. It's almost certainly cheaper anyway. If that is annoying and frustrating, write and tell the people involved. Eventually they will get the message.

I wonder if authors could choose to sell the physical book rights separately from electronic book rights? That way they could sell to publishers in Europe and the US for 'local' physical book sales, and sell electronic rights to one or more 'Global publishers' (Amazon, Sony... there's room here for some interesting developments). Global publishers can fight it out amongst themselves over gaining the customer's attention. Already Amazon and Sony are setting out their stores on those lines, so it's a fairly logical progression. Once e-readers have got sufficient penetration for authors to threaten to sell only electronically, the pressure on physical publishers to accept such deals will be quite strong.

As ever, the next eighteen months or so will be 'interesting times' (as in the ancient Chinese curse)

10-02-2009, 05:07 AM	#123
Tuna Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 325 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Cool-ER	We're in a transition period, basically. I'd say the publishing industry is roughly where the games industry was ten years ago with regards to things like regional restrictions. For now a lot of it really doesn't make sense, but consumer pressure and evolution of the legal framework will (hopefully) iron out the gross inconsistencies. If you buy an ebook reader right now, you're in the same position as if you bought a laser disc player in the early nineties. You might have backed the right horse, but you're not going to know for a couple of years. At least in the short term, you have to accept that you can't just pop to your local convenience store and buy new content. There's no point getting upset by it - you made the choice to spend your money on 'emerging technology'. In that respect, if the book you wish to buy isn't available electronically, you still have the option of buying the physical version. It's almost certainly cheaper anyway. If that is annoying and frustrating, write and tell the people involved. Eventually they will get the message. I wonder if authors could choose to sell the physical book rights separately from electronic book rights? That way they could sell to publishers in Europe and the US for 'local' physical book sales, and sell electronic rights to one or more 'Global publishers' (Amazon, Sony... there's room here for some interesting developments). Global publishers can fight it out amongst themselves over gaining the customer's attention. Already Amazon and Sony are setting out their stores on those lines, so it's a fairly logical progression. Once e-readers have got sufficient penetration for authors to threaten to sell only electronically, the pressure on physical publishers to accept such deals will be quite strong. As ever, the next eighteen months or so will be 'interesting times' (as in the ancient Chinese curse)