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Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
3) It's not exclusively about "slowing down" ebook sales. It's about making sure their product still has value when ebooks become a bigger part of the market.
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We've seen over the past few years a real battle with blockbuster titles where Amazon, Walmart et al take huge loss leaders with hardcover books at $9.99. Publishers and authors hate it and claim it devalues their product. Just look at the rant from Stephen King recently for an example of that.
I suspect that the publishers realise they have lost the war and have accepted that their flagship products have been devalued in the public's eyes. They believe taking control of eBook prices by forcing an agency model across all titles, all retailers and all publishers will give them what they want in this emerging market.
If we're not careful the days of competition among (e)book retailers may be drawing to a close.