Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#1

Post by constantinum » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 7:34 AM UTC

Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.
nytimes.com

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#2

Post by amrrs » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:37 AM UTC

So apart from stop buying from Amazon, what else one common citizen of Internet can do?

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#3

Post by lotsofmangos » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:38 AM UTC

Monopoly usually follows monopsony. I do not expect book prices to be kept low by Amazon, if Amazon manage to kill off the major publishing houses. And their willingness to make exceptions for politician's books in their corporate spats is outrageous.

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#4

Post by raverbashing » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:39 AM UTC

Distribution channels are important, and editors will have to adapt to these new means.

I wonder if there was a way of cutting the middle man and selling the books directly from their website in a way that is readable in all e-book readers, hummm

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#5

Post by raverbashing » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:40 AM UTC

amrrs wrote: post #2

So apart from stop buying from Amazon, what else one common citizen of Internet can do?

Yeah, we can buy elsewhere, but they charge more for shipping and oh yeah, your CC is not working here...

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#6

Post by amrrs » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:41 AM UTC

raverbashing wrote: post #4

Distribution channels are important, and editors will have to adapt to these new means. I wonder if there was a way of cutting the middle man and selling the books directly from their website in a way that is readable in all e-book readers, hummm

so Skip Amazon? But all users won't go to each publishing company's page to check for their new releases. That's how Amazon is sandwiched in the middle.

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#7

Post by ianlevesque » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:42 AM UTC

raverbashing wrote: post #4

Distribution channels are important, and editors will have to adapt to these new means. I wonder if there was a way of cutting the middle man and selling the books directly from their website in a way that is readable in all e-book readers, hummm

EPUB, PDF, the web. All good options.

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#8

Post by __Joker » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:42 AM UTC

Little tangential but Amazon is expecting this and preparing for antitrust lawsuits. [1][2]

[1]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/06/h...

[2]https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000023883

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#9

Post by amrrs » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:42 AM UTC

ianlevesque wrote: post #7

raverbashing wrote: post #4

Distribution channels are important, and editors will have to adapt to these new means. I wonder if there was a way of cutting the middle man and selling the books directly from their website in a way that is readable in all e-book readers, hummm

EPUB, PDF, the web. All good options.

Why not an open-source one something like where everyone has power? something like Reddit or Bitcoin?

Re: Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K.

#10

Post by amrrs » Mon, Oct 20, 2014, 9:43 AM UTC

raverbashing wrote: post #5

amrrs wrote: post #2

So apart from stop buying from Amazon, what else one common citizen of Internet can do?

Yeah, we can buy elsewhere, but they charge more for shipping and oh yeah, your CC is not working here...

And it's really a pain to jump between different sites for different books and who would want to experience all the pain and again pay more?