About the state of the geographic restrictions

GERGE · 10-08-2015, 02:06 AM

I wanted to ask about the state of geographic restrictions in where you live. As we wanted some years before, they are slowly disappearing. I can buy any book I want from Google Play and Kobo now, a few years ago I had to use a USA address with my bank account (as a additional address) and bookstore account.

Comixology, Baen and publisher's own stores have no restrictions too. HarperCollins, S&S sells directly and other three are on Kobo and Google Play.

Things are slowly improving. Right now, only books I don't have direct, legal access are Amazon Publishing and Amazon exclusive self-pubs.

Things are slowly improving.

GeoffR · 10-08-2015, 02:42 AM

In the three years I have been buying ebooks I think geographic restrictions have increased slightly, but circumventing them remains legal, and trivial to do.

One change that affected me most was the purchase of E-Reads catalogue by Open Road Media. E-Reads used to be sold through Baen and other places DRM-free and without any georestrictions, and are now only sold with DRM and added in-book advertising, and many titles are now georestricted in New Zealand.

Spatterlight Press used to sell without georestrictions, but I now need to use a VPN to purchase their books from New Zealand.

Baen has stopped selling a lot of other publisher's books, including Night Shade books which are now georestricted and most titles unavailable in New Zealand.

The one positive has been the rise of Humble Bundle and other bundle outlets, which sell books without georestrictions that are normally georestricted when sold through the usual channels.

Edit: One compilcation to circumventing georestrictions from New Zealand that will likely arise in the future is the decrease in the current $400 GST threshold on purchases from foreign companies. At the moment there is no issue of tax avoidence on most ebook purchases because no tax is due on purchases under $400, but when that changes then it will probably be necessary for customers to work out the tax themselves when circumventing georestrictions.

GERGE · 10-08-2015, 02:47 AM

Maybe the difference is because you are in an English speaking country while I am not? We are both buying English books and while they can be licensed locally over there they can't really do that here.

Sirtel · 10-08-2015, 03:40 AM

Amazon e-books have been available in my country for a long time now (I started to purchase there in 2011). The same for Kobo and most others. Google Play Books were unavailable until recently, but not any longer and often they're the cheapest (Amazon adds their $2 international surcharge to any countries without their own Amazon store).

Yes, I'd say things are improving. Now if Amazon would just lose the surcharge, I would be really happy. As things stand, however, I mostly buy elsewhere or use a VPN. I'm seriously fed up with always paying more for Amazon books. Often the difference is several dollars (they add VAT on top of the surcharge).

svenlind · 10-09-2015, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GERGE

Things are slowly improving.

That is also my impression. I seldom encounter geographical restricted ebooks at Amazon. Maybe it is because I am directed away from those books?

But I am often prevented from buying special offers to the reduced price.

HarryT · 10-09-2015, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenlind

That is also my impression. I seldom encounter geographical restricted ebooks at Amazon. Maybe it is because I am directed away from those books?

Amazon won't show you books that aren't available to you.

There are large numbers of books available on Amazon UK but not on Amazon US, and vice versa. It's extremely common for books to have different UK and US publishers.

svenlind · 10-10-2015, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Amazon won't show you books that aren't available to you.

If you click on a direct link, maybe from here at MR, then you do risk to come to a site where you are told, that this book is not available for the moment. They seldom mention that it is not available in your country.

HarryT · 10-10-2015, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenlind

If you click on a direct link, maybe from here at MR, then you do risk to come to a site where you are told, that this book is not available for the moment. They seldom mention that it is not available in your country.

Yes, if you use a direct link that is indeed the case. It just says "This book is not currently available for purchase".

tompe · 10-18-2015, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Amazon won't show you books that aren't available to you.

There are large numbers of books available on Amazon UK but not on Amazon US, and vice versa. It's extremely common for books to have different UK and US publishers.

I think they do. I sometimes have found books on anazon.com that I am not allowed to buy. But it happens very seldom.

Little.Egret · 10-20-2015, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

I think they do. I sometimes have found books on anazon.com that I am not allowed to buy. But it happens very seldom.

Yes, Google or an old link can take you to a book page marked "not currently available for sale"

JohnRR · 10-21-2015, 02:01 AM

I still have difficulties in finding UK version of books because amazon.com normally doesn't sell UK version. I don't want to buy US version of books that are written by British authors because of the US spelling. To me, books by US authors should have US spelling and books by UK authors should have UK spelling. I now don't want to spend my time to change the US spelling back to UK spelling. I choose not to buy them and borrow them from the library instead.

sherman · 10-22-2015, 05:34 PM

It seems to me like one thing has gotten easier over the years. There seems to be a lot less restrictions on international credit cards than there used to be.

For example, the first US ebook I purchased from Amazon, I had to go through a rigmarole of a second account and gift card shenanigans. I still use that second account, but it now happily accepts my NZ credit card, making matters much less painful.

10-08-2015, 02:06 AM	#1
GERGE Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	About the state of the geographic restrictions I wanted to ask about the state of geographic restrictions in where you live. As we wanted some years before, they are slowly disappearing. I can buy any book I want from Google Play and Kobo now, a few years ago I had to use a USA address with my bank account (as a additional address) and bookstore account. Comixology, Baen and publisher's own stores have no restrictions too. HarperCollins, S&S sells directly and other three are on Kobo and Google Play. Things are slowly improving. Right now, only books I don't have direct, legal access are Amazon Publishing and Amazon exclusive self-pubs. Things are slowly improving.

10-08-2015, 02:42 AM	#2
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	In the three years I have been buying ebooks I think geographic restrictions have increased slightly, but circumventing them remains legal, and trivial to do. One change that affected me most was the purchase of E-Reads catalogue by Open Road Media. E-Reads used to be sold through Baen and other places DRM-free and without any georestrictions, and are now only sold with DRM and added in-book advertising, and many titles are now georestricted in New Zealand. Spatterlight Press used to sell without georestrictions, but I now need to use a VPN to purchase their books from New Zealand. Baen has stopped selling a lot of other publisher's books, including Night Shade books which are now georestricted and most titles unavailable in New Zealand. The one positive has been the rise of Humble Bundle and other bundle outlets, which sell books without georestrictions that are normally georestricted when sold through the usual channels. Edit: One compilcation to circumventing georestrictions from New Zealand that will likely arise in the future is the decrease in the current $400 GST threshold on purchases from foreign companies. At the moment there is no issue of tax avoidence on most ebook purchases because no tax is due on purchases under $400, but when that changes then it will probably be necessary for customers to work out the tax themselves when circumventing georestrictions. Last edited by GeoffR; 10-08-2015 at 03:00 AM. Reason: Future complications

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10-08-2015, 02:47 AM	#3
GERGE Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	Maybe the difference is because you are in an English speaking country while I am not? We are both buying English books and while they can be licensed locally over there they can't really do that here.

10-08-2015, 03:40 AM	#4
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,133 Karma: 237627567 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Amazon e-books have been available in my country for a long time now (I started to purchase there in 2011). The same for Kobo and most others. Google Play Books were unavailable until recently, but not any longer and often they're the cheapest (Amazon adds their $2 international surcharge to any countries without their own Amazon store). Yes, I'd say things are improving. Now if Amazon would just lose the surcharge, I would be really happy. As things stand, however, I mostly buy elsewhere or use a VPN. I'm seriously fed up with always paying more for Amazon books. Often the difference is several dollars (they add VAT on top of the surcharge).

10-21-2015, 02:01 AM	#11
JohnRR Connoisseur Posts: 61 Karma: 642334 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Earth Device: None	I still have difficulties in finding UK version of books because amazon.com normally doesn't sell UK version. I don't want to buy US version of books that are written by British authors because of the US spelling. To me, books by US authors should have US spelling and books by UK authors should have UK spelling. I now don't want to spend my time to change the US spelling back to UK spelling. I choose not to buy them and borrow them from the library instead.

10-22-2015, 05:34 PM	#12
sherman Guru Posts: 875 Karma: 2676800 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Taranaki - NZ Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Forma	It seems to me like one thing has gotten easier over the years. There seems to be a lot less restrictions on international credit cards than there used to be. For example, the first US ebook I purchased from Amazon, I had to go through a rigmarole of a second account and gift card shenanigans. I still use that second account, but it now happily accepts my NZ credit card, making matters much less painful.

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