"The Justice Department Just Made Jeff Bezos Dictator-for-Life"

[pickupapenny]

The Justice Department Just Made Jeff Bezos Dictator-for-Life

For the next two years, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will be free to dictate the price of eBooks across much of the publishing industry.

That, more or less, is what we can take away from the antitrust suit the Department of Justice filed yesterday against Apple and five major publishing houses, which alleges that they colluded in 2009 to raise the price eBooks and stop Amazon from using steep discounts to lure customers . Already, three publishers have settled on terms so friendly to Amazon that, as Wired's Tim Carmody put it, Bezos should send the attorney general an early Christmas card. Two more are still fighting the case, along with Apple. But there's little doubt about what the outcome will be for the book world.

The article goes on to explain while this will probably lead to lower prices in the short term, Amazon's deep pocket ability to sell books at a loss will enable them to get a stranglehold on the ebook business. They already control 70 percent of the fast growing ebook market.

[maka]

I was going to write something but this pretty much sums it up.

http://pandodaily.com/2012/01/17/con...ng-to-kill-us/

Very related. I have trouble feeling sorry for the publishing companies though.

[wendi5000]

Typical. A so-called anti-collusion lawsuit will result in... higher prices controlled by a monopoly. Reminds me of the telephone companies...

[nobody - closed]

It reminds me of Wal-mart. Drive everyone else out of business, then BAM! Jack up the prices and everyone but Amazon is dirt poor. The writers and editors get paid less, and society pays the price if any of them have to go on any type of public assistance because of it.

Welcome to the United States of Wal-mart. Our prices may be low, but you'll pay one way or the other.

[clark - Closed]

Typical. A so-called anti-collusion lawsuit will result in... higher prices controlled by a monopoly. Reminds me of the telephone companies...

What? The breakup of AT&T resulted in an explosion of competition in telephone services. Today, you can buy a cell phone with all the bells and whistles and pay $150/month if you wish, or you can buy a cheap flip phone and pay about $15.00/month -- what I pay. It is the only phone I need. Unlimited long distance costs for a landline are -- what? -- $25.00/month. The breakup of AT&T was a good thing.

I don't think this situation is much like that. Personally, I'll take the lower prices now. I think the market will take care of the future. Paying $25.00-30.00 for a new hardcover book -- or an ebook, if that is what they cost -- is ridiculous.

[missamyliz]

I don't think this situation is much like that. Personally, I'll take the lower prices now. I think the market will take care of the future. Paying $25.00-30.00 for a new hardcover book -- or an ebook, if that is what they cost -- is ridiculous.

I personally enjoy lower prices as much as the next guy - but IMO, that's what put our economy in the shitter. The Walmart analogy was spot on, I always say the birth of Walmart was the death of America.

I think this situation is different because Amazon has such a strong hold on the ebook sector already, and AT&T - while being a huge market itself - did not have as much of a grip on the cell phone market in comparison. This will put smaller publishers out of business, and guess where they will end up? On unemployment, on welfare, and on mTurk.

[rosewater]

Clark, what cell phone service do you use for 15.00 or so a month?

[clark - Closed]

Clark, what cell phone service do you use for 15.00 or so a month?

I just looked, Rosewater. I added 200 minutes ($20.00) in my super-duper Net10 Motorola phone on 05/16/2012. I still have 107 minutes left. My daughter texts me a lot through Gmail, instead of voice, which is free. I have grown to like texting -- especially the free part.

I don't talk much on the phone, I'll admit, so I am atypical. That's my point, though. I can pay what I want. When I worked out of town in the 1980s, when the Mothership of AT&T was still strong, I once had a bill of over $200 in long distance charges calling my girlfriend. The nostalgia for the old Ma Bell monopoly puzzles me. I assume it is from people who didn't actually live then.

[rosewater]

Cool, thanks. I have T Mobile - 600 min w/ texting for 46.00 total a month- had it for 12 years- I hardly use it at all but it's the cheapest I've seen and that's cause I've had the same plan for so long. I'm thinking about just buying minutes and wondered if you were on a plan.