Quote:
Originally Posted by nekokami
Only partly true. If the book is available from a server in the US or a server in the UK, I'll probably go with the US server. Certainly if the choice is between a US server and a Chinese server, I'll go with the US server. In your example, the UK publisher is selling from its virtual location, and will probably get more online business from UK customers, because they're advertising their store there, so UK folks are more likely to be aware of it. Beyond that, I see no reason why the sellers shouldn't compete on a relatively level playing field. If a publisher buys the rights to distribute a book within a certain geographical location, and actually distributes the book, they'll likely get the business. If they don't make the book available, people who want to buy the book are likely to look elsewhere. Just like with print books.
I have three of the Harry Potter books in Canadian editions because they were printing on recycled paper and I chose to pay the extra to get those versions. I don't live in Canada. Amazon Canada warned me that the delivery guarantees on release wouldn't hold in my case, but otherwise had no problems selling me the book. I really can see no reason why the situation shouldn't be the same for ebooks.
And I suspect that once ebooks become a large enough part of the market, the online stores will pressure publishers to allow this. And they will be successful in getting a change because this practice hinges on an interpretation of law, not something spelled out in the law itself (i.e. the "location" of the buyer).
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Well, I agree with you on HOW it should work--what I was clarifying is that it doesn't work because the UK (example) paid 15,000 dollars to the American publisher for the right to sell in the UK. That UK publisher doesn't want his customer going to American Amazon and getting a copy because it sees none of that money.
It was only meant to clarify. I agree that it isn't working the way it should. The old geographical problems are sadly out of date given the technology. And I do agree that piracy might not occur so often if the publisher and those concerned got things straightened out so that people could *buy* the things they actually are willing to pay for.