Here follows some select PDA-247 reader comments posted this week concerning eBook geographic restrictions. My question is- how can non-US residents get around this problem without buying a dedicated eBook reader or paying extra for eBooks? Anyone have any ideas? Eric almost provides the answer below. I am getting seriously annoyed with the lack of response shown by eReader and fictionwise, especially when I consider how much I have spent with both over the years.
“Yes this new complication is a real drag. I can order a “real” book from Amazon and get it shipped anywhere in the world but I can’t do it with e books from e-reader. I wonder what the new international Kindle will do?
I think e-reader and the others should start a “non USA” site so we wouldn’t be frustrated by getting interested in a book that we can’t buy.
With this kind of attitude book piracy becomes attractive – we are willing to pay but can’t buy anyway.
This is idiocy.”
“Yup. Wanted to buy a book today (for the first time in ages!) from Mobipocket, but can’t because I live in the wrong country at the moment. I don’t feel like moving to the States just now, so I guess I’m shafted right? (Just like a lot of you are.)”
“Join the club. I completed a survey for ereader.com and received a discount voucher for my troubles. Great, I thought, I need some new books. Zzzzt! Wrong answer. None of the dozen or so books I wanted to read were available to Australia. I emailed them thanking them for the voucher, had a rant (a polite one) and asked that they at least add a country filter. I received an email referring me to their web site FAQs. Nice.
The coupon duly expired and I received another email extending the discount. I emailed them again and received the same form answer. Obviously they don’t care about my paltry custom — 300+ books in the last 4 years — but what about ereader’s tens of thousands or more other non-US readers?
My dilemma is do I buy another reader or go back to hard copy? Will this issue be resolved, and if so, when?”
“Hi there – it’s Eric writing in. I was pleasantly surprised that a comment on ebooks had been “promoted” to front page news.
Just as a feedback to this crazy situation – I can tell you there are loopholes in this “geographic restriction wall of US”!
I contacted an author in relation to this issue and ask them whether there was any possible way to purchase an ebook. The author then referred me to a website which charged slightly more (about USD$0.50). I registered and pruchased the ebooks using my actual address (residing in Australia) and entered my credit card details (also from Australia) and hit “purchase”.
A few minutes later, I got a confirmation email which I could download the ebook and it was DRM keyed to my reader (ereader format)
Another piece of news – Amazon will be bringing the Kindle reader to Australia. As nice as it may be, I can’t imagine filling up one of these readers with 2,500 ebooks if there are geographic restrictions placed on purchases. (Perhaps Chaucer, Aesops fables and anything that predates the 1900’s…)”
Hi, Eric. From my understanding, even buying a dedicated eBook reader will not get you around the geographical restrictions.
And with regards to Diesel, I think it’ll only be a matter of time before publishers come down heavy on them.
Why can’t publishers get their act together — afterall it’s their and their authors’ hip pockets it’s affecting. Personally, I can’t see why as an example ereader.com can’t pay the royalties for the Australian sales to whichever publisher holds the Australian electronic rights for that book. I know it’s not as simple as that, but you get the gist.
At the moment, it’s a lose-lose situation for all concerned.
Interesting post here about the Kindle: http://www.teleread.org/2009/10/08/amazon-kindle-international-publishers-screw-readers-again/
Sorry, Shaun, I typed Eric but meant you. It’s been one of those days…
ereader.com/help/GeographicRestrictionsFAQ.htm
“What is Fictionwise doing to resolve this situation?
Fictionwise is working with our suppliers and publishers to set up a system whereby we run multiple storefronts in different countries. Once we have this system in place, we should be able to sell eBooks that have these kinds of restrictions to many more areas. We would deliver the correct country version of each such eBook in a way that makes sure the correct geographic rights holder gets paid for the eBook. That’s ultimately what people care about. We are trying to make this as transparent to our customers as possible. But it is a complex problem because it deals with issues like tarifs, VAT taxes, currency conversions, and other issues involving multiple parties”
I wish they would hurry up.
Interesting blurb about geographic restrictions from ereader.
A few issues here…
1) I have typed in fictionwise. com.au or co.uk – nothing comes up. Or ereader. com.au or co.uk – nothing comes up.
I am tempted to bet my entire ebook collection that we won’t see any site come up for Australia (or at least in the next 12 months).
2) “The correct geographic rights holder gets paid for the ebook” – given that ebooks are supplied through on source (owning multiple websites) which applies to the printed version – not electronic version. This is in effect setting up artificial boundaries for restriction of trade.
If the country has an objection to the ebook, then let their internet filters deal with it (like Australias non-existent R rating for computer games – making us the laughing stock of the civilised world).
Just out of curiosity, I did a search on Dan Browns latest book “The Lost Symbol” and found many, many sources on bit torrent within 48 hours of first release. Please note that I did NOT download it. (So much for the RIAA statement of “making available” = downloaded a copy!!)
I don’t advocate illegal downloads nor do I encourage people to do so. But this business model is straight out of the same playbook as music (and RIAA) and movie studios. It just doesn’t work or hold up in the real world. The author should be more concerned about loss of revenue when people turn to torrent sources to download the ebook.
Sorry about the rambling notes – this issue just doesn’t mesh with internet reality on so many levels…
I’m with you, Eric. When I questioned ereader.com on a timeline to when they expected this to happen, they refused to be drawn, which means it can’t be any time soon.