Quote:
Originally Posted by kennyc
Yes! As far as the restrictions, that is due to law and contracts with writers and publishers.
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Yes, it's always someone else's fault. Sorry, but part of the blame
must lie with Amazon in this case.
I have bought numerous pBooks from Amazon over the years - obviously US editions. They have never refused to take my money and send me any book I ordered. (Similarly, they have sent me any Region 1 DVD I have ordered - obviously a region restricted item, yet they send it anyway.)
Now an eBook is a different medium, but the same content as the pBook version (US spelling in the US version, etc.). Yet bizarrely, they can be region restricted. So where is the publisher/writer agreement everyone refers to when the "information" is available to me from the US as a paper copy but not as an e-copy.
And before the "apples" and "oranges" crowd jumps in, I know we're talking digital info versus other info, but publishers and distributors are happy to try and justify using a paper book pricing scheme for eBooks (e.g. new release eBook = hardcover price, etc.). So I feel somewhat justified in comparing availability of paper info and digital info of the same book.
I know it's not a prerequisite that laws and rules make sense - but this makes no sense. The digital format is being used as an excuse to attempt to control the markets (much like the ludicrous DVD and BD region coding). Fair enough if they can get away with it, but claiming they should shoulder no blame for these choices is a classic cop-out and doesn't float.
In the end, I can try to logically put forward my position on this matter as much as I like, but the bottom line is Amazon and Sony don't want me tyo buy their eBooks. So, screw Amazon and screw Sony - they will never get me as an eReading customer in the future, period.
Quite frankly, since I have been forced to look elsewhere I have found there are often better options anyway, so it's not all bad. One thing that is sadly lacking at the moment is correctly written eBooks - i.e. with UK English spelling. That's what is nice about buying UK edition pBooks, so I hope we get the equivalent choice in eBooks soon.