I think everyone was surprised to see Amazon use its muscle to pull all Macmillan content from their store… and cave in to Macmillan’s demands.
The Authors Guild is still pursuing their lawsuit against Google for the use of scanned texts for Google Books. Read on for the details…
Amazon vs. Macmillan
Macmillan titles are once again being offered on Amazon.com… in print formats. eBooks are not yet being offered. When they are, expect prices from $12.99-14.99 as demanded by Macmillan. Amazon initially set the standard of eBook pricing at $9.99, a significant discount from hardcover book prices. This is one of the key factors driving the sales of eBooks.
If publishers flex their muscles by offering eBooks either at higher prices or delay the release of eBooks for several months after print release, will readers still opt to buy them? I certainly don’t know. I’m still going for audiobooks or print predominantly.
The Authors Guild vs. Google
Google and The Authors Guild are still at odds over Google Books. The current version of Google’s proposal includes the elimination of Google’s right to use the books for unspecified future uses and a way for competing companies to license Google’s library to offer competing products.
The Justice Department is still not happy with the agreement. The biggest problem appears to be that this is a class action lawsuit that is being put forth to carry out future business arrangements and not to settle a past situation. This wish to deal with future interactions goes beyond the dispute now put before the court.
The Justice Department is also still considering whether Google violated copyright law by scanning the thousands of books in its program without permission, despite Google’s pledge to pay $125 million plus a percentage of future sales revenue to copyright holders who agreed to not opt out.
Regardless of the huge benefit that will be available to the public by digitizing media that was created before the Internet, Google is still in the position of practically monopolizing the market for these digital books. This means that Google would have an unfair advantage over any other group in providing these books as well as embedding advertising within the digital text.
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DorothyD
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