A reporter at the The Sunday Times (UK) went undercover at Amazon.co.uk after receiving a tip about labor conditions. Read the article HERE.

Think you’re safe from the Amazon/BookSurge ultimatum because you’re in the United Kingdom? Think again. You might be next!

Amazon has lauched a POD service in the U.K. While they say “We are offering titles that are being produced by other print on demand providers”…they don’t say they’ll continue to do so.

The article also states: “It is unclear whether this move will affect terms negotiations with publishers. North refused to comment adding ‘we are launching something brand new and we hope it will create savings that will benefit everybody’.”

Read the entire article (and don’t miss the reader comments!) here: http://thebookseller.com/news/68379-amazon-uk-launches-pod-service.html

We recently ran across an interesting quote by Jeff Bezos, written 10 years ago when Barnes and Noble tried to buy Ingram Book Group. (The deal was abandoned by Barnes and Noble seven months later under pressure resulting from antitrust concerns of the FTC and independent booksellers.)

Amazon.com’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, immediately took a defiant approach: “To our customers: Worry not … Those who make choices that are genuinely good for customers, authors, and publishers will prevail. Goliath is always in range of a good slingshot … Our long-term strategy has been to diversify our supplier base and to increase our direct purchasing from publishers.”
Source: Barnes & Noble Buys Ingram and Sets Off a Powder Keg

Pot, meet kettle.

PooperScoops weighs in with: Hypocrisy From Amazon’s Glass House

The petition from SPAN, the Small Publishers Association of North America, is now up:

http://www.spannet.org/amazonantitrust-signers.htm

Thanks to everyone for their support!

Publisher’s Weekly released a story today summarizing the arguments between Amazon and BookLocker, based on the court filings:

Amazon, Booklocker Trade Motions in POD Antitrust Case

Angela Hoy was interviewed by Tom Nixon at SmallPress Blog regarding the Amazon/BookSurge lawsuit. You can read the interview HERE.

Amazon Throws its Weight Around, Book Publishers Push Back - Association rallies independent publishers to support lawsuit against business giant *

Colorado Springs, CO, July 7, 2008 - The Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN), a national trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of independent publishers, launched a campaign to generate support for the antitrust lawsuit - Booklocker.com, Inc. vs. Amazon.com, Inc.

The SPAN board recently voted to publicly support the lawsuit.

Read more, including how you can help small publishers and SPAN, RIGHT HERE.

Thank you, SPAN!!!

The article, Amazon Deals Have Short Shelf Life by Doug Tsuruoka, appears in Investor’s Business Daily.

According to the New York Times, Amazon “has adopted the literary equivalent of a nuclear option for rebellious publishers” and another Bangor, Maine resident, Stephen King, is affected.

The New York Times article is HERE.

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