General Discussion

Selatius

(20,441 posts)

59. It's illegal under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, you are right about that.

Thu Jul 12, 2012, 04:13 AM

Jul 2012

This is why the Federal Trade Commission punished the RIAA because they had a similar agreement with music distributors as far as pricing schemes go. Brand new albums that used to retail for 12 or 13 dollars in the 1990s were inflated to well over 20 dollars in many cases when the price fixing mechanism was put into place.

Germany did this likely to protect its domestic book chain stores. I favor competition like anybody else; it makes things more efficient and keeps prices close to the reality of supply and demand, but I also mourn the destruction of mom-and-pop operations as well. It's the reason why Walmart is a monopoly in everything but name, and because of that, nobody is going to bring down the anti-trust hammer on them. They have too many politicians in their back pocket.

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How Germany Keeps Amazon at Bay and Literary Culture Alive [View all] HiPointDem Jul 2012 OP

Will they save the buggy whip also? Confusious Jul 2012 #1

Bookstores do not sell ebooks? Fumesucker Jul 2012 #4

every eReader can go online Confusious Jul 2012 #6

A few really weird people prefer to support their local merchant.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #8

Basically, what they do would be Confusious Jul 2012 #9

Where do you go to get your cable TV at a lower rate? Fumesucker Jul 2012 #10

I don't. I have satellite. Confusious Jul 2012 #11

Why do people collect comics/graphic novels when you can get a better rendition on your screen? Fumesucker Jul 2012 #12

Because people collect comics/ graphics novels, as I said Confusious Jul 2012 #28

Publishing houses are not the same as "local merchants." They're leeches. joshcryer Jul 2012 #65

What about nationalizing publishing and electronic media? FrodosPet Jul 2012 #100

"Additionally, average book prices in Germany are the lowest in Europe" Zalatix Jul 2012 #66

The author of the OP article is the fucking former CEO of Henry Holt Inc. joshcryer Jul 2012 #69

They tried price fixing, and that is what you are talking about, price fixing, and they got sued. CBGLuthier Jul 2012 #2

Price fixing goes on every day in America.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #5

yeah, sure. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #20

Protectionism! Argh! Well that explains why the German economy is so anemic. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #3

Ding ding ding!!! LOL. +1,000! Zalatix Jul 2012 #67

The numbers are bullshit Confusious Jul 2012 #7

i'll believe you when you link a reference. because the number i get is 172,000 (for 2005). HiPointDem Jul 2012 #14

Well according to wiki: 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #16

notice the difference between the two citations? HiPointDem Jul 2012 #17

What's wrong with being self-published? 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #18

not an apples to apples comparison on two counts, i infer. 99% of "self-publishing" is stuff HiPointDem Jul 2012 #19

So the democraticization of the process here is bad because it means anyone can take part 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #21

no, saying the comparison of two different data sets is invalid. and self-publishing has always HiPointDem Jul 2012 #22

Apparently it isn't much of an option in some places 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #25

it's a;ways been an option, from vanity presses to xerox machines. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #32

The publishers are middlemen, they're rent seekers. "Mom and pop" is just propaganda. joshcryer Jul 2012 #63

here's the story on the numbers; the reason for the large jump 2005 to today is: different method- HiPointDem Jul 2012 #70

I'm not sure this is true Johonny Jul 2012 #26

no, small presses were hit by the internet & amazon, which destroyed their margins. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #34

yeah Johonny Jul 2012 #88

Good. joshcryer Jul 2012 #94

Oh god, now you're defending big publishing houses. joshcryer Jul 2012 #62

Not just that but the end of the article basically contridicts everything else. joshcryer Jul 2012 #68

I only complain when market manipulation drives prices up... Comrade_McKenzie Jul 2012 #13

Does a book lose its literary value by changing format? 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #15

Their loss... I prefer Amazon Marooned Jul 2012 #23

thank you for supporting sweatshop labor, the destruction of local taxbases & small publishers, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #36

I usually buy books used on Amazon Freddie Stubbs Jul 2012 #24

thank you for supporting sweatshop labor, the destruction of local taxbases & small publishers, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #35

Try these guys. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #90

The US used to have Fair Trade Laws -- they have all been repealed FarCenter Jul 2012 #27

Yea, but your link also said Confusious Jul 2012 #30

The small business community could not hold the line against the large retailers FarCenter Jul 2012 #40

you missed the "impractical" part Confusious Jul 2012 #43

Enforcement is cheap so long as it is consistent, rigorous, and painful. FarCenter Jul 2012 #44

You still haven't addressed the fact Confusious Jul 2012 #51

It's illegal under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, you are right about that. Selatius Jul 2012 #59

I love Amazon and have bought literally hundreds of dollars worth of books from them. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #29

thank you for supporting sweatshop labor. and the destruction of local tax bases. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #31

And the day I do any of those things I will return to this thread and accept your "thanks." apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #39

you do those things, because amazon does those things. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #48

Not a bit of it: but if it makes you feel better about yourself apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #49

again, thanks for your support of union-busting, worker-grinding, small-business and small HiPointDem Jul 2012 #50

The only one doing any "rationalizing" here is you: and that is in the cause of apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #52

amazon is all those things; you said you love it and support it with your dollars. ergo. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #53

You can keep typing such silliness all night long: it still doesn't make it true. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #54

of course it does. actions have consequences. support for anti-labor tax dodgers does too. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #55

Of course it doesn't: buying books from Amazon does not equate to "support" apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #56

BTW, Hannah: I wasn't really for your banning back on DU2, just FYI. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #57

You've been quite civilized even after being accused of promoting slavery. joshcryer Jul 2012 #64

"rang a Bell" - LOL, good one! And quite right, methinks. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #109

Have you seen that Harlequin class action that was filed? joshcryer Jul 2012 #110

oh NO!!!! Anything against PROFITS is EVIL! Ask the devil... fascisthunter Jul 2012 #33

german publishers make profits. rather decent ones. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #37

oh well... I'm sure they will survive fascisthunter Jul 2012 #38

Wunderbar! Danke n/t sfpcjock Jul 2012 #41

Why stop at books, if this is such a great idea? Nye Bevan Jul 2012 #42

it's how airlines and some other things used to work in the us. & it worked better than today, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #46

The airlines were also highly regulated Confusious Jul 2012 #58

nobody's regulating the books. they're regulating potential monopolists. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #60

Like fast food caused the death of good food? Confusious Jul 2012 #71

It does spell the end of "independent book stores" as well. joshcryer Jul 2012 #72

I don't think it does Confusious Jul 2012 #73

The studies on this show that it does though. joshcryer Jul 2012 #75

After reading your other post Confusious Jul 2012 #76

Yeah, it's not far off. :) joshcryer Jul 2012 #79

no, nature doesn't always find a way. and there's nothing natural about literary culture. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #74

Sure there is Confusious Jul 2012 #77

there were 'best sellers' as far back as the foundation of the country. those people you imagine HiPointDem Jul 2012 #78

Well they still wrote, didn't they Confusious Jul 2012 #80

a leisured elite wrote for each other's entertainment and edification. perhaps that's your ideal. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #82

Until the press came along. Funny how that works out. joshcryer Jul 2012 #83

there seem to be a lot of people i'm ignoring in this thread. which means a gang attack. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #84

gang attack by the 'ignored' continuing. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #96

And the ones writing now aren't the leisured elites? Confusious Jul 2012 #85

stephen king worked in a laundry and taught school before he hit it big with carrie. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #86

Maybe he did Confusious Jul 2012 #87

"part of a privileged few". exactly. the same as the unknown "self-published" authors amazon HiPointDem Jul 2012 #89

Oh brother Confusious Jul 2012 #91

It's the same type of kneejerk reaction to technologically aided education. joshcryer Jul 2012 #92

all but one *owned* publishing businesses, & that's how they did their "self-publishing". it's a HiPointDem Jul 2012 #95

Really? corporatists? Confusious Jul 2012 #97

lol. just a bigger corporatist controlling more of the value chain, from publishing to retail. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #98

No, the writer would take all of it. Confusious Jul 2012 #99

i'm pretty sure you don't know anything about anything. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #101

Like I said Confusious Jul 2012 #102

let's place a bet & see how your speculation pans out in 10 years. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #103

Amazon will be highly marginalized in 10 years. joshcryer Jul 2012 #107

Yep, Xuni is one of them. The problem is payment methods. joshcryer Jul 2012 #106

LOL, you quote 35% royalty at the minmum. Paper book authors get 15% at the maximum! joshcryer Jul 2012 #104

gangstalking continues HiPointDem Jul 2012 #105

Status quo defending continues. joshcryer Jul 2012 #108

Amanda Hocking was a group home worker before she hit it. joshcryer Jul 2012 #93

Heh, franchising is the fault of that. Kinda like how publishing houses are the middle men... joshcryer Jul 2012 #81

Its been years since I could afford to buy books new bhikkhu Jul 2012 #45

yeah, there's such a discount on e-books. not. and you don't even get to own them. you just HiPointDem Jul 2012 #47

Amazon is fine with this, Amazon's war is with publishers. joshcryer Jul 2012 #61