How are geographic restrictions affecting you?

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by karenr_nz

SabreDog, I have exactly the same problem - latest books by two aussie fantasy authors that are geo-restricted to UK/US. Madness.

To explain geo-restrictions to non e-book readers I use this analogy ...

I walk into a bookstore in NYC, and go to purchase a book. The conversation with the shop assistant goes:
SA - 'can I see some ID to prove that you are a US resident?'
Me - 'sorry, I'm a NZer, not a US resident.
SA - 'I'm sorry, in that case, I can't sell you that book - it's only for sale to US residents.'
Me - 'but this book isn't even available in NZ - it's not like I'm ripping off some NZ bookseller'
SA - 'That's the rules.'

On walking out of the shop a passerby says 'psst - here's a copy of the book for free'. Me - 'wow! Thanks heaps'. Darknet strikes again ....

Excellent!

Have some karma!!

[Vzzzbx]

Originally Posted by karenr_nz

SA - 'can I see some ID to prove that you are a US resident?'
Me - 'sorry, I'm a NZer, not a US resident.
SA - 'I'm sorry, in that case, I can't sell you that book - it's only for sale to US residents.'

Even worse is when you explain that you can buy the book at home and they still won't sell it to you.

I don't know the situation in NZ, but in Australia we have every right to buy a copy of something from another country, even if a version is locally available. We're also allowed to buy a DVD player that ignores region codes.

[karenr_nz]

Informing the authors is great - when you can find their contact details. Sadly not all have webpages, or available contact details.

I wonder if there is any way to send a link to this discussion to some exec from the big publishing houses ...? And whether they would care ....?

[karenr_nz]

Vzzzbx, not only can we freely buy stuff from overseas, there are no parallel import restrictions in NZ (so I could buy and resell) and there is no duty or GST charged on imports <$250 value, so the tax/VAT issues from Europe also don't apply.

It's just so frustrating.

If Whitcoulls/Borders/A&R would get their act together and expand their selection it would help a lot, but they are still really limited (I think they're up to 3000 SF/F books now). I emailed them about selection, and was told that 'we are adding new books every day - be patient and keep checking'. Which doesn't exactly help.

[digital_steve]

I wonder, theoretically, if you could create 2 accounts at ebook stores... one with a US based address, one with the normal address and then buy the US address account a gift card to use to buy said book and download via an ip blocker.

Theoretically of course... i'd never do that.

At all...

....... ever

[Vzzzbx]

Originally Posted by karenr_nz

Vzzzbx, not only can we freely buy stuff from overseas, there are no parallel import restrictions in NZ (so I could buy and resell) and there is no duty or GST charged on imports <$250 value, so the tax/VAT issues from Europe also don't apply.

So essentially you're in a prime position to take advantage of the new global economy but you're being stopped at every corner by sulking rich people.

Originally Posted by karenr_nz

If Whitcoulls/Borders/A&R would get their act together and expand their selection it would help a lot, but they are still really limited (I think they're up to 3000 SF/F books now). I emailed them about selection, and was told that 'we are adding new books every day - be patient and keep checking'. Which doesn't exactly help.

I'm under the impression that REDgroup Retail (that company) is working very, very hard to get publishers on board as quickly as possible. I'm also under the impression (based entirely on rumour this time) that Amazon and Apple preliminarily have people 'on the ground' in Australia, and that both plan to have an Australasian operation up and running in a few months.

[Vzzzbx]

Originally Posted by digital_steve

I wonder, theoretically, if you could create 2 accounts at ebook stores... one with a US based address, one with the normal address and then buy the US address account a gift card to use to buy said book and download via an ip blocker.

Theoretically of course... i'd never do that.

At all...

....... ever

Why not? Perfectly legal, if my understanding is correct.

[sabredog]

At Diesel ebooks, you need to have credit card verification when using a gift certificate. As they can determine your point of origin with the credit card, the result is a denied sale.

[WhenAllElseFails]

Originally Posted by sabredog

For removing DRM, Google is your friend. DRM removal methods are not the best thing to discuss on Mobileread.

Converting ebooks is a simple matter in the main using the free and superb Calibre, of which there is a dedicated mobileread forum.

Ahh thanks for the heads up, I wasn't aware that removing DRM was illegal... perhaps I've misunderstood what it actually does. I was planning to buy the ebooks but my reader isn't able to read DRM. I'm only new to this ebook arena so the files types and security are not clear yet.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by WhenAllElseFails

Ahh thanks for the heads up, I wasn't aware that removing DRM was illegal... perhaps I've misunderstood what it actually does. I was planning to buy the ebooks but my reader isn't able to read DRM. I'm only new to this ebook arena so the files types and security are not clear yet.

Removing DRM is not illegal though it does skirt the edges of violation of copyright. I prefer to remove the infestation and liberate my purchased ebook so I have full control over MY ebook.

There was an article link posted on MR that indicated that removing DRM was within the bounds of fair use, at least in the US

[Vzzzbx]

The US DMCA outlaws DRM circumvention in the US, and I'm pretty sure the Australia-US free trade agreement (hallelujah to that mess of a pact) subjects Australians to the same law.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by Vzzzbx

The US DMCA outlaws DRM circumvention in the US, and I'm pretty sure the Australia-US free trade agreement (hallelujah to that mess of a pact) subjects Australians to the same law.

Well I cannot find that article link so it may not have been on MR.

The one nasty thing about the so called fair trade agreement Australia has now is DCMA compliance. Australia's reasonably fair copyright laws were a sad casualty.

Anyway, in my search to find GR workarounds I often cannot be too choosy on format, hence the steps to convert the ebook.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by digital_steve

I wonder, theoretically, if you could create 2 accounts at ebook stores... one with a US based address, one with the normal address and then buy the US address account a gift card to use to buy said book and download via an ip blocker.

Theoretically of course... i'd never do that.

At all...

....... ever

Right...

I was thinking about that as well. Especially since Amazon opened that UK Kindle shop. Which is only open to UK people. Which makes me wonder why I am able to shop in a store that is based thousands of km away, but not one that is around 500km away...

[Vzzzbx]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I was thinking about that as well. Especially since Amazon opened that UK Kindle shop. Which is only open to UK people.

See, I was under the mistaken impression that Australia fell under the UK's book distribution region (Commonwealth?), so I was reasonably surprised to be locked out of that shop.

Distributors only exist to distribute, right? So why are we required to wait for distributors to distribute something that cannot be distributed by a distributor? Australia Post never demanded the right to distribute all our emails.

[lordvetinari2]

I have pre-ordered a Kindle. For the first time, I have been considering buying e-books as a viable alternative to piracy.

I knew that the surcharge in ebooks in Europe compared to the US was due to VAT and to 3G roaming charges, so I contacted Amazon to ask them what happens if I buy ebooks using my WiFi connection from the Kindle. Or using my PC and then transferring the ebook via USB. Or buying through the Kindle app in my Android smartphone. They said that there's no discount and I have to pay the full price no matter what. I was not happy.

(Please bear with me, the georestriction bit is coming...)

Having heard that the Amazon UK store is much cheaper, I decided to do some research. How many ebooks by my favourite authors are available in the British, American and European Kindle stores? B&N has very similar prices, catalogue and restrictions as the Amazon US store, so there's no point in comparing it. What about Kobo? Of course, I would need to deDRM the Kobo ebooks and convert to Mobi, but...

Author                             UK	USA	Europe	Kobo
Charles Stross	               6	10	10	        10
Neil Gaiman	               3	12	8	        9
Neal Stephenson	       2	12	5	        7
Robert A. Heinlein	       1	5	4	        4
George R.R. Martin             14	20	17	        9
Brian W. Aldiss	               5	1	5	        2
Stephen Fry	               1	4	4	        1
Chuck Palahniuk	               1	11	2	        2
Orson Scott Card	       3	39	3	        2
Stephen King*	             50	80	62	        53
Philip K. Dick	             27	158	49	        30

Note 1 (edited): Please see screenshot below in case the table alignment is wrong.
Note 2: The Stephen King ebooks are just an approximate. He has lots of duplicates, so I had to guess.
Note 3: Even though Terry Pratchett is my favourite author, his ebooks are not in the list because I collect his pbooks and I am not planning to change that now. My bookshelves look very nice with such a collection!

Buying from the US / European Kindle stores means more expensive books than paperbacks from Amazon UK. I just cannot accept ebooks as more expensive than pbooks. On the other hand, the UK Kindle store is even a bit cheaper than British paperbacks, but the selection is extremely poor.

So back to square one. I don't know what to do.