Kindle books as gift...finally?

[BearMountainBooks]

Guess I'll have to actually keep my wish list updated...although I read that if you already own the book, you can exchange the 'gift' for a gift card!

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I agree. Amazon is behaving as if the merchandise were contraband in the recipient's country.

I suspect it's the publishers rather than Amazon that are insisting on the geo-restrictions.

Originally Posted by GA Russell

If I buy a hardback book, I could ship it to England with no problem from the UK govt, right? It should be the same for eBooks.

In the case of Spycatcher, the UK government did try to stop people getting it in the UK, but didn't actually tell customs to seize it at the border.

[Russell Brooks]

I saw this article this morning. I thought that it would interest all of you.

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat...s-gifts_b17402

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by avantman42

I suspect it's the publishers rather than Amazon that are insisting on the geo-restrictions.



In the case of Spycatcher, the UK government did try to stop people getting it in the UK, but didn't actually tell customs to seize it at the border.

It is the publishers doing the restrictions. In some cases they don't have the author's permission to distribute (the author may have wanted to sell foreign rights separately.) When I upload a book to Amazon, as the author, I set the distribution (which is worldwide because I'm not crazy...I read these threads. What would I be waiting for??? )

Publishers never had to worry much about demand in other countries because they controlled the flow--they decide what got shipped and when and negotiated different payments and rights. 'Instant' is not in their vocabulary and they aren't used to customers "seeing" a book in another country and saying "hey, why can't I read that..."

[Tiersten]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

although I read that if you already own the book, you can exchange the 'gift' for a gift card!

Nice. Thats a good feature.

[gypsy]

I'm very happy........now i can plan on getting my mother magazine 'scripts, and books for subsequent gifts down the road. Getting her a kindle for Christmas....she's gonna love it.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by avantman42

I suspect it's the publishers rather than Amazon that are insisting on the geo-restrictions.

Technically it is not the Publishers but the folks who are enforcing contract law. Since a Publisher does not sign a contract that gives them the right to distribute a book globally, the book can only be sold by a Publisher in a specific country.

So a book with different Publishers in different countries is going to run into geo-restriction problems.

I don't fully get why it was legal for Amazon (or any book store) to sell a physical book published in the US to someone in Australia and they cannot sell an e-book. That still baffles me.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I don't fully get why it was legal for Amazon (or any book store) to sell a physical book published in the US to someone in Australia and they cannot sell an e-book. That still baffles me.

It has been explained many times here on MR.

The Point of Sale is what matters. When you buy a pbook, the POS is where ever the store is located. When you buy an ebook the POS is where the consumer is located.

BOb

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

It has been explained many times here on MR.

The Point of Sale is what matters. When you buy a pbook, the POS is where ever the store is located. When you buy an ebook the POS is where the consumer is located.

BOb

Thanks. I have not seen this mentioned in the various topics that I have read.

So how is the point of sale different when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy a paper book available from Amazon in the US and when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy an e-book available from Amazon in the US?

The person pressing the button is still in Australia. The book is still available in the US. The Warehouse shipping the paper book is in the US. The server farm housing the e-book is probably in the US.

[Tiersten]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

So how is the point of sale different when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy a paper book available from Amazon in the US and when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy an e-book available from Amazon in the US?

I'm not a lawyer but judging by how this works for other things, I'd say it is because everybody has ancient laws which were never intended to cover such things as digital purchases. Your eBook purchase comes under some other law which isn't the same one which governs pBook purchases.

This is unfortunately the reason why we get charged tax for eBooks in the UK but no tax for pBooks as the laws differ.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

So how is the point of sale different when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy a paper book available from Amazon in the US and when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy an e-book available from Amazon in the US?

To me... there is no difference. To contracts, and lawyers, and tax ordinances, etc... there is a big difference.

BOb

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by Tiersten

I'm not a lawyer but judging by how this works for other things, I'd say it is because everybody has ancient laws which were never intended to cover such things as digital purchases. Your eBook purchase comes under some other law which isn't the same one which governs pBook purchases.

This is unfortunately the reason why we get charged tax for eBooks in the UK but no tax for pBooks as the laws differ.

To me... there is no difference. To contracts, and lawyers, and tax ordinances, etc... there is a big difference.

Glad to know that I am not missing something totally obvious.

[NickBuzz]

Originally Posted by Tiersten

I'm not a lawyer but judging by how this works for other things, I'd say it is because everybody has ancient laws which were never intended to cover such things as digital purchases. Your eBook purchase comes under some other law which isn't the same one which governs pBook purchases.

This is unfortunately the reason why we get charged tax for eBooks in the UK but no tax for pBooks as the laws differ.

Tiersten, you are right. All this issue is because Amazon has to follow the law of the country from where that purchase is made. You may buy digital content from US, but you are paying from your country, and that payment has to follow the economical laws of that country.

Hope this makes things clear.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

So how is the point of sale different when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy a paper book available from Amazon in the US and when I press a button on my computer in Australia to buy an e-book available from Amazon in the US?

Perhaps there is no difference in the law, but rather only in the enforcement of it.

Here in the US it is common for American CD retail websites to carry European public domain CDs which are still under US copyright. I just think that the govt can't be bothered with enforcing the law.

Perhaps it is easier to police eBooks than hardcopies.

[Adamastorx]

I already received one kindle book as a gift. It works. Finally! What took them so long to implement this?