Regional restrictions now in the UK - Page 11

JSWolf · 10-08-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

When they say Adobe Digital Editions as the format (which is highly incorrect as ADE is not a format), do they mean PDF or ePub?

nomesque · 10-08-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

Essentially it means that HarperCollins and Doubleday do not compete in their areas. Which is price fixing, and in my opinion the same as illegal price fixing. I don't know if this price fixing is illegal or not.

I don't think it counts as price fixing - the rights to publish his books within certain markets (US one market, UK another) have been licensed to the publishers, and by the terms of the contract the publisher with US publishing rights can't sell their copy of the book in the UK, and vice versa. Strikes me as bleeding ridiculous in this day and age, but it's actually adhering to law rather than breaking it

Halk · 10-08-2009, 09:07 PM

That by definition is price fixing. What matters though is if it comes down legally as price fixing, and I don't know the answer to that.

nomesque · 10-08-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

That by definition is price fixing. What matters though is if it comes down legally as price fixing, and I don't know the answer to that.

Huh. I wonder if we're working with the same definitions, then. To me, price fixing = an agreement between two vendors to sell a particular product at the same price, with the intent of keeping the price artificially high.

Now this isn't an agreement between two publishers, it's two agreements between agent and publisher. And the prices aren't the same, either.

The 'right' of authors to license their copyrights to different publishers in different countries is supported in Australian law, at least - there's been a huge furore recently over here about relaxing restrictions to allow, say, a US-published book to be imported for sale (generally at a lower price) when an Australian-published edition of the book is already available.

bminata · 10-09-2009, 02:32 AM

Secure Tunnel.. so far so good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Which service do you use? Are they good?

Halk · 10-09-2009, 04:43 AM

Price Fixing includes not just collusion over prices. It also includes one company agreeing with another not to compete for a contract. It includes splitting up geographic locations to avoid competition.

I've now written to my MP. Again I don't expect that to solve the problem - but it'll do no harm!

HansTWN · 10-09-2009, 04:55 AM

The problem is international price fixing is not illegal. Just see OPEC, it even is institutionalized.

Halk · 10-09-2009, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HansTWN

The problem is international price fixing is not illegal. Just see OPEC, it even is institutionalized.

OPEC does not contain the UK and USA. Price fixing is stamped on within those two countries, but outside of the UK/USA/Europe/S.A./OZ/NZ etc it's rife.

Tuna · 10-09-2009, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

That by definition is price fixing. What matters though is if it comes down legally as price fixing, and I don't know the answer to that.

I suspect the original agreements were set up when steam ships were the only option for getting goods across the oceans, and the issue of prices in different continents were pretty much irrelevant. It made sense to have one publisher in America and another in the UK because you couldn't just air freight a book overnight. Nothing at all to do with price fixing, just trying to provide goods to local markets - and at prices appropriate to those markets. have you checked the price of a novel in India?

Now that global trade has changed the cost of producing goods half way around the world, the agreements and laws look out of date. But they still don't equate to price fixing, just the continuation of business as normal. The same applies to most consumer electronics, which mysteriously ignore exchange rates when it comes to pricing in Europe and America.

Now that the internet allows consumers to trade internationally, these differences are slowly eroding, but unless we all start earning equivalent wages, and the cost of living becomes the same worldwide, goods are going to continue to be priced locally for a long time.

Sweetpea · 10-09-2009, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

Booksonboard price for Unseen Academicals - $19.99
Booksonboard UK price for Unseen Academicals - £18.24 (Roughly $30.00)

And why do I have to pay 50% more in the UK? Answer is I don't. I simply don't buy the book.

Edit : Emailed Booksonboard in disgust. Don't see it changing anything :P

Edit Edit : I emailed Harper Collins too.

And I checked to see what price fixing laws are. As far as I can see if this was within the UK it might even be illegal. But I'm no lawyer!

Where did you get those prices?

For me, on BoB:

US: €14,61 (epub), €15,51 (ereader) and €14,05 (audio)

UK: €10,85 (epub) and €11,52 (ereader) (no audio).

I was logged in, with an account with my own country.

So, it would be cheaper to buy that one in the UK store...

Halk · 10-09-2009, 07:29 AM

I'm looking at the prices now.

$21.96 on the US site
£16.31 on the UK site - which is roughly $27

Booksonboard did reply to my email to say they would adjust the pricing.

But it's the list prices I'm talking about.

US - $26 UK - £21.30 ($35)

Sweetpea · 10-09-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

I'm looking at the prices now.

$21.96 on the US site
£16.31 on the UK site - which is roughly $27

Booksonboard did reply to my email to say they would adjust the pricing.

But it's the list prices I'm talking about.

US - $26 UK - £21.30 ($35)

So, that means that prices differ according to country? How else can you have different prices for the same book at the same site?

kennyc · 10-09-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

So, that means that prices differ according to country? How else can you have different prices for the same book at the same site?

Shipping? Taxes?

Halk · 10-09-2009, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

So, that means that prices differ according to country? How else can you have different prices for the same book at the same site?

In order to comply with the publishers rules they sell two different items. One is the HarperCollins version - which cannot be sold to the UK and one is the Doubleday version - which cannot be sold to the US.

If you go to the main Booksonboard site you are offered the US version. If you go to the UK site you are offered the Doubeday version.

Sweetpea · 10-09-2009, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

In order to comply with the publishers rules they sell two different items. One is the HarperCollins version - which cannot be sold to the UK and one is the Doubleday version - which cannot be sold to the US.

If you go to the main Booksonboard site you are offered the US version. If you go to the UK site you are offered the Doubeday version.

the prices I quoted were from the US and the UK site. They are different from your UK site then

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10-08-2009, 09:07 PM	#153
Halk Fanatic Posts: 538 Karma: 469999 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Sony PRS-650 (PRS+ alpha - thanks Kartu!)	That by definition is price fixing. What matters though is if it comes down legally as price fixing, and I don't know the answer to that.

10-09-2009, 04:43 AM	#156
Halk Fanatic Posts: 538 Karma: 469999 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Sony PRS-650 (PRS+ alpha - thanks Kartu!)	Price Fixing includes not just collusion over prices. It also includes one company agreeing with another not to compete for a contract. It includes splitting up geographic locations to avoid competition. I've now written to my MP. Again I don't expect that to solve the problem - but it'll do no harm!

10-09-2009, 04:55 AM	#157
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	The problem is international price fixing is not illegal. Just see OPEC, it even is institutionalized.

10-09-2009, 07:29 AM	#161
Halk Fanatic Posts: 538 Karma: 469999 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Sony PRS-650 (PRS+ alpha - thanks Kartu!)	I'm looking at the prices now. $21.96 on the US site £16.31 on the UK site - which is roughly $27 Booksonboard did reply to my email to say they would adjust the pricing. But it's the list prices I'm talking about. US - $26 UK - £21.30 ($35)