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Originally Posted by Quoth
Except essentially a Net Book agreement does nothing to stop Amazon. It just means Amazon can use discounting as a weapon, except they are via subscription models and exclusive sales such as the KDP Select.
If that was the publisher's aim, it was stupid and pointless as Amazon now has over 90% of ebooks.
Also really it's illegal in the UK, Ireland and other places for producers to set retail prices. Uber, AirBnB, Amazon, Google etc can't expect to have different laws just because they are "distance selling".
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It *was* stupid.
Because it prevented any kind discounting by *anybody*. No bundling, no BOGO, no micropayment rebates. Nothing.
Everybody had to sell the exact same product at the exact same price. No differentiation.
Well, if the price is the same everywhere, what do customers do?
Go to the store with the biggest catalog, the best return policies, the best customer service, and (at the time) the only ereader with Pearl screens and direct downloads and didn't need a PC to feed it.
Before Agency, people shopped around for the best deals, afterwards, they had no reason not to go with Amazon.
Instead of killing Amazon they killed their competitors.
With enemies like that you barely need friends.