Big 6 decline to renew with Amazon

jhempel24 · 04-10-2012, 11:58 AM

Don't know if this interests anyone

http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/big-s...vorable-terms/

MrsJoseph · 04-10-2012, 01:21 PM

That is interesting

jgaiser · 04-10-2012, 01:49 PM

I'm sure this will work out well for the Big 6.

RainingLemur · 04-10-2012, 01:51 PM

Wonder if the authors under the Big 6 will have anything to say about it.

elemenoP · 04-10-2012, 01:53 PM

I wonder who will blink first.

eP

ProfCrash · 04-10-2012, 01:59 PM

I smell a game of chicken a foot. The timing is wrong for the Big 6 to be pulling this. In the middle of being investegated by the DOJ and the EU for illegal behavior. Amazon is probably using that as part of its bargaining tactic and trying to go back to the pre-Agency Pricing model with the Big 6 wanting to keep Agency Pricing. Pure speculation on my part. I hav eno knowledge and have not read anything about it so I am guessing. But those would be sensible starting points for both sides when negotiating new terms.

Not to mention how pissed off people are going to be if those e-books go away. The anger is not going to be directed at Amazon but at the Big 6. Most people, regardless of device, think that the prices being asked for e-books is too high. This is a common theme in posts. Why should an e-book cost the same as a hardback or even a paperback? Do the Big 6 really think that they are going to win that PR battle?

More likely than not, Amazon is being Amazon and their terms are draconian. I have a snekaing suspicion that they will find a middle ground and that the e-books will continue to be sold at Amazon.

pphilipp · 04-10-2012, 02:24 PM

Does the big 6 operate as a conglomerate or as individuals?

calibrated · 04-10-2012, 02:31 PM

Amazon and the Big Six need each other too much for this to go on for very long. They'll kiss and make up in the end.

DrNefario · 04-10-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pphilipp

Does the big 6 operate as a conglomerate or as individuals?

They're probably breaking a few laws if they operate as a conglomerate.

ProfCrash · 04-10-2012, 03:09 PM

Which is why it is silly for them to allow anything to leak that makes it sound like they are working together. I am sure that they cannot control whoever leaked the information, it might have been Amazon who would benefit from making it look like they were collaborating on this.

ATimson · 04-10-2012, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

The timing is wrong for the Big 6 to be pulling this. In the middle of being investegated by the DOJ and the EU for illegal behavior.

This is exactly the right time - if their contract terms are going to be declared illegal, better to be able to negotiate a new contract from scratch than have to possibly pay a bunch of termination fees to Amazon for the agency contract...

Suzanna · 04-10-2012, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Not to mention how pissed off people are going to be if those e-books go away. The anger is not going to be directed at Amazon but at the Big 6.

Most people don't concern themselves with the whys and wherefores surrounding the publishing industry. I have three siblings who are avid readers and who all have ereaders ... one even works in a used bookstore ... and none of them have any clue about what Amazon or the big six are doing. They really don't. They don't read about any of this stuff. They just go to a store and if they don't see something they want, they'll be pissed off at the vendor and look for the product elsewhere.

Amazon knows this. Hell, they blinked when Macmillan called their bluff pre-Agency and put back their buy buttons right quick. There's no way in hades that Amazon will want to deal with a situation that has books from all the big-6 publishers absent from their bookstore.

ProfCrash · 04-10-2012, 04:50 PM

If the books go away, Amazon will post something on the website about the Big 6 and their collusion investigation and how interesting it is that all six publishers have decided not to negotiate new terms to their contracts. They will be able to point to DOJ documents and EU documents.

It is one thing when it is one Publisher but all 6 at the same time is just going to be a PR nightmare.

Amazon does not want to lose those books and those publishers do not want to lose Amazon. I am sure they will hash things out and there is not going to be a problem. I just have a feeling that Amazon is in a better negotiating position then the Big 6 at the moment.

Suzanna · 04-10-2012, 04:55 PM

Amazon can post a message laying the blame squarely on the big 6's shoulders in shining, blinking letters on the top of every single page of their website. That isn't going to stop a customer from looking elsewhere to get the books they want. Do you honestly think that customers will just say, "Screw those greedy publishers, I'm never buying a big 6 book again!" Really? And for how long. A day? A week? Eventually they're going to want to go elsewhere to get that book from their favorite author.

History teaches us that Amazon does not want to deal with not having *one* large publisher's books in their marketplace (Macmillan.) They won't screw themselves by banning all six publishers.

They may be able to call the bluff of the Indie publishers, but they won't be able to do it long term for the big six. The question remains, who will blink first? History tells us it will be Amazon.

MrsJoseph · 04-10-2012, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

If the books go away, Amazon will post something on the website about the Big 6 and their collusion investigation and how interesting it is that all six publishers have decided not to negotiate new terms to their contracts. They will be able to point to DOJ documents and EU documents.

It is one thing when it is one Publisher but all 6 at the same time is just going to be a PR nightmare.

Amazon does not want to lose those books and those publishers do not want to lose Amazon. I am sure they will hash things out and there is not going to be a problem. I just have a feeling that Amazon is in a better negotiating position then the Big 6 at the moment.

I hope not. I hope that someone does put a cork on Amazon. While it would suck that the BPH could get their books pulled...it's ridiculous that Amazon is acting in this manner.

04-10-2012, 11:58 AM	#1
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	Big 6 decline to renew with Amazon Don't know if this interests anyone http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/big-s...vorable-terms/

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04-10-2012, 01:21 PM	#2
MrsJoseph Loves Ellipsis... Posts: 1,554 Karma: 7899232 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Kobo Wifi (broken), nook STR (returned), Kobo Touch, Sony T1	That is interesting

04-10-2012, 01:49 PM	#3
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	I'm sure this will work out well for the Big 6.

04-10-2012, 01:51 PM	#4
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Wonder if the authors under the Big 6 will have anything to say about it.

04-10-2012, 01:53 PM	#5
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	I wonder who will blink first. eP

04-10-2012, 01:59 PM	#6
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I smell a game of chicken a foot. The timing is wrong for the Big 6 to be pulling this. In the middle of being investegated by the DOJ and the EU for illegal behavior. Amazon is probably using that as part of its bargaining tactic and trying to go back to the pre-Agency Pricing model with the Big 6 wanting to keep Agency Pricing. Pure speculation on my part. I hav eno knowledge and have not read anything about it so I am guessing. But those would be sensible starting points for both sides when negotiating new terms. Not to mention how pissed off people are going to be if those e-books go away. The anger is not going to be directed at Amazon but at the Big 6. Most people, regardless of device, think that the prices being asked for e-books is too high. This is a common theme in posts. Why should an e-book cost the same as a hardback or even a paperback? Do the Big 6 really think that they are going to win that PR battle? More likely than not, Amazon is being Amazon and their terms are draconian. I have a snekaing suspicion that they will find a middle ground and that the e-books will continue to be sold at Amazon.

04-10-2012, 02:24 PM	#7
pphilipp Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 156088 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Smokies Device: Apple iPad 3 (I have owned many other tablets)	Does the big 6 operate as a conglomerate or as individuals?

04-10-2012, 02:31 PM	#8
calibrated Zealot Posts: 132 Karma: 179412 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle 1, Kindle 3, Kindle Fire w/Aldiko	Amazon and the Big Six need each other too much for this to go on for very long. They'll kiss and make up in the end.

04-10-2012, 03:09 PM	#10
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Which is why it is silly for them to allow anything to leak that makes it sound like they are working together. I am sure that they cannot control whoever leaked the information, it might have been Amazon who would benefit from making it look like they were collaborating on this.

04-10-2012, 04:50 PM	#13
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	If the books go away, Amazon will post something on the website about the Big 6 and their collusion investigation and how interesting it is that all six publishers have decided not to negotiate new terms to their contracts. They will be able to point to DOJ documents and EU documents. It is one thing when it is one Publisher but all 6 at the same time is just going to be a PR nightmare. Amazon does not want to lose those books and those publishers do not want to lose Amazon. I am sure they will hash things out and there is not going to be a problem. I just have a feeling that Amazon is in a better negotiating position then the Big 6 at the moment.

04-10-2012, 04:55 PM	#14
Suzanna Living in the past Posts: 432 Karma: 6011289 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Arc	Amazon can post a message laying the blame squarely on the big 6's shoulders in shining, blinking letters on the top of every single page of their website. That isn't going to stop a customer from looking elsewhere to get the books they want. Do you honestly think that customers will just say, "Screw those greedy publishers, I'm never buying a big 6 book again!" Really? And for how long. A day? A week? Eventually they're going to want to go elsewhere to get that book from their favorite author. History teaches us that Amazon does not want to deal with not having one large publisher's books in their marketplace (Macmillan.) They won't screw themselves by banning all six publishers. They may be able to call the bluff of the Indie publishers, but they won't be able to do it long term for the big six. The question remains, who will blink first? History tells us it will be Amazon.

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