Comments on: Amazon to Block Other POD Services from Using Amazon Marketplace

By: Tor’s Open Door Policy is Perfect for Readers | Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:01:34 +0000

[...] can see the success that Amazon is having with verticality as it gobbles up other suppliers such as print on demand technology that will undoubtably play a big part in its publishing future or ebook technology used to form the [...]

By: Why the Lack of a Jeff Bezos Dooms Mainstream Publishing | Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:01:36 +0000

[...] 4, 2005: BookSurge LLC. Amazon buys a print on demand fulfillment company. Later, Amazon would prevent other POD books to be sold through Amazon’s online retail store. Booklocker has [...]

By: Alessia Brio

Alessia Brio — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:25:22 +0000

I started a related thread on the Amazon forums in the Romance category. Perhaps if enough discussion takes place right under Amazon’s nose it will have an impact.

By: Author

Author — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:13:44 +0000

A good case can be made that what Amazon is attempting to do violates anti-trust laws. Waiting for federal anti-trust action would take many years–years to get the Justice Department to act, years of trials, years of fussing over what the court decision means. Notice how long it took to deal with Microsoft’s tactics, despite the fact that the corporations they were bullying were large and powerful. None of us can afford that long a wait.

Action at the state level, however, could move much faster, particularly if it involves off-the-record contact and a somber warning from those who can make trouble for Amazon. Amazon is headquartered in Seattle about a ten minute drive from the office of the Antitrust division of the Washington state attorney general. Here’s the contact information:

Office of the Attorney General

Antitrust Division

800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000

Seattle, WA 98104-3188

http://www.atg.wa.gov/Antitrust/default.aspx

Telephone: 206-587-5510

Fax: 206-464-6338

Note the remark on that web page that “The Antitrust Division only processes complaints that involve either Washington State residents or businesses located in Washington State.” Amazon is in Washington state, so it matters not where you are. You might also want to raise the issue with your state attorney general’s antitrust office, asking them to get in touch with their colleagues in Seattle. If you’re a publisher, encourage your authors to write. If you’re an author, encourage other writers to contact them.

By: Deborah Woehr » Backlash Over Amazon Monopoly Tactics

Deborah Woehr » Backlash Over Amazon Monopoly Tactics — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:52:45 +0000

[...] Amazon to Block Other POD Services from Using Amazon Marketplace, Dear Author [...]

By: Dear Amazon, What are You Thinking?

Dear Amazon, What are You Thinking? — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:55:03 +0000

[...] Amazon to Block Other POD Services from Using Amazon Marketplace, Dear Author [...]

By: The Essential Marketing Secrets that Amazon Forgot

The Essential Marketing Secrets that Amazon Forgot — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:55:43 +0000

[...] Amazon to Block Other POD Services from Using Amazon Marketplace, Dear Author [...]

By: Amazon’s Blatant Disrespect of Their Best Customers

Amazon’s Blatant Disrespect of Their Best Customers — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:55:16 +0000

[...] Amazon to Block Other POD Services from Using Amazon Marketplace, Dear Author [...]

By: Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:31:40 +0000

I think the ‘world domination’ thing plays into a lot of it.

By: tasha

tasha — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:38:29 +0000

I think the target of this tactic was the major publishing houses and the academic publishing houses, who use POD for out-of-print backlist titles. Perhaps Amazon didn’t think things through and did not expect the backlash from the smaller presses who are going to be hard hit by the new policy.