MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - What's the point of Geographic restrictions from a publisher's perspective?

rhadin · 02-11-2010, 11:37 AM

There is no point from a publisher's perspective and all publishers, I daresay, would like worldwide ebook rights. But authors and their agents have been reluctant to grant publishers worldwide rights, which is why, for example, Harry Potter was published by one company in Britain and another in the U.S. Authors and agents are able to make more money by breaking up rights than by bundling them.

And if worldwide rights are sold, they will cost a publisher a lot more than for restricted rights which means higher costs. And then there would be higher distribution costs as well. You cannot separate an ebook from its pbook version today. Perhaps in 10 years, but not today.

02-11-2010, 11:37 AM	#2
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 4,833 Karma: 59674358 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Nook, Nook Tablet	There is no point from a publisher's perspective and all publishers, I daresay, would like worldwide ebook rights. But authors and their agents have been reluctant to grant publishers worldwide rights, which is why, for example, Harry Potter was published by one company in Britain and another in the U.S. Authors and agents are able to make more money by breaking up rights than by bundling them. And if worldwide rights are sold, they will cost a publisher a lot more than for restricted rights which means higher costs. And then there would be higher distribution costs as well. You cannot separate an ebook from its pbook version today. Perhaps in 10 years, but not today.