Authors' Guild wants Government action on Random Penguin

[fjtorres]

http://blog.authorsguild.org/2012/11...-random-house/

Although Random House has said that the combination would control 25% of the book market, that appears to significantly understate things. The companies’ share of the U.S. trade book market for fiction and narrative non-fiction likely exceeds 35%. Their share in certain submarkets is no doubt even higher. The merger merits close scrutiny from antitrust officials at the Justice Department or the FTC.

So a conspiracy to raise prices on consumers is a misapplication of antitrust law because publishing is a "special snowflake" but combining market power to squeeze more money out of authors merits antitrust action.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

http://blog.authorsguild.org/2012/11...-random-house/



So a conspiracy to raise prices on consumers is a misapplication of antitrust law because publishing is a "special snowflake" but combining market power to squeeze more money out of authors merits antitrust action.

[HomeInMyShoes]

If it doesn't benefit me it must be illegal, or should be.

[Penforhire]

Scott wrote, "While the companies discuss the cost savings from this merger through consolidating warehousing and other operations, those potential efficiencies for such large publishers are probably minor."

Hey, way to throw out a groundless statement there, Mr. lawyer! Facts or GTFO.

[Sydney's Mom]

I think he cut and pasted it from his rant about the lawsuit over agency pricing.

[SeaKing]

Why doesn't the Guild just sell it's books through Amazon? That would fix those conspirators and antitrusters.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Scott wrote, "While the companies discuss the cost savings from this merger through consolidating warehousing and other operations, those potential efficiencies for such large publishers are probably minor."

Hey, way to throw out a groundless statement there, Mr. lawyer! Facts or GTFO.

The law is rarely about facts, it's about winning cases by appeal to emotion and authority.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by kennyc

The law is rarely about facts, it's about winning cases by appeal to emotion and authority.

Not at all. It's about winning. Period.

"If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the facts and the law are against you, yell like hell."

Ever notice how many people yell all the time?

[jgaiser]

Sigh.. Never mind

[Fluribus]

This board is the only place that I am confronted by random penguins. The rest of my life is totally devoid of penguins. From where I sit, the government is doing a fantastic job handling the penguin problem.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

This board is the only place that I am confronted by random penguins. The rest of my life is totally devoid of penguins. From where I sit, the government is doing a fantastic job handling the penguin problem.

Tell that to this bloke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qNOIJNfICI

[sabredog]

I would worry about the mess left by random penguins, especially if you bring them inside...