The industry is abuzz this week over a class-action lawsuit filed against Apple and six of the big publishing houses alleging ebook price fixing. Amazon is mentioned several times in the press release, which states, “The complaint claims that the five publishing houses forced Amazon to abandon its discount pricing and adhere to a new agency model, in which publishers set prices.” Amazon is not listed as one of the plaintiffs (two ebook buyers are) but it’s difficult to imagine Amazon is not somehow involved because the name Amazon is mentioned eight times in the press release. Read the release in its entirety HERE.
According to a story in Publisher’s Weekly, some bookstores refuse to stock some of Amazon’s published titles and some refuse to sell Amazon titles under any circumstances, including special orders for customers on request. This has apparently made some literary agents wary about sending their clients to Amazon. Read the story HERE.
Back in April, Apple sued Amazon alleging trademark infringement for using the term “Appstore.” That story is HERE.
In July, that lawsuit led to Amazon being forced to stop accepting new apps in Germany.
Both Apple and Amazon were being investigated by the Connecticut Attorney General last year, alleging their contract provisions prohibited publishers from entering into deals for lower prices on their ebooks with other stores.
At BookLocker.com, we sued Amazon back in 2008 when they tried to force us to pay them to print our books. We believed their actions were a violation of federal anti-trust law. It’s interesting to watch the other tangles Amazon keeps getting itself involved in. Amazon ended up settling with us, and they had to pay our attorneys $300K. If you missed it, that story is HERE.
Angela Hoy is the co-owner of WritersWeekly.com and BookLocker.com. WritersWeekly.com is the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday. According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker.com is: “As close to perfection as you’re going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I’ve ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can’t go wrong here. Plus, they’re selective and won’t publish any manuscript just because it’s accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors’ books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know.”