Apple eBook Rules Changing For Sellers 584
An anonymous reader writes "In a 'pray I don't alter it again' moment for eBook sellers on apple iPad and iPhone devices, Apple is now requiring third-party eBook sellers like Amazon to also make their titles available through the Apple store, wherein the empire will take an additional 30% cut. 'Apple confirmed Tuesday that it would require app developers that sell e-books outside of their iPad and iPhone apps — through a Web site, for example — to also sell the books inside those apps. And purchases that originate in the app must be made through Apple, which keeps a 30 percent cut.'"
Does it have to be at the same price? (Score:4, Interesting)
Can they sell them at a 43% price premium so they break even after Apple takes their 30% cut?
Re:Milking it (Score:5, Interesting)
The problem comes if they try to force amazon to charge the same price in-app as they do in the web store. I doubt amazon will stick around through a decision like that. They still have to make a profit too. If they can't jack their prices up for the in-app store, then their profit margin might shrink to nothing, or put them in the negative.
Currently, the kindle app is one of the the only reasons I ever pick up the iPad anymore. Apple shouldn't mess with it. I have no qualms about ditching the iPad if they do...
Just charge more (Score:1, Interesting)
So they just charge ~43% more for the book on the Apple store. That way, they get the same price, and nobody buys it from Apple anyway.
Re:Ridiculous (Score:3, Interesting)
Amazon either needs to take a loss on eBooks sold on Apple's platform, or else raise prices.
What's the marginal cost of an ebook?
Re:Ridiculous (Score:4, Interesting)
What's the marginal cost of an ebook?
Since Amazon can't just sell any book it wants without an agreement and payment to the author and publisher, I'm guessing the price Amazon has to pay per unit sold is very much a non-zero number. Even if bandwidth is counted as free, everyone who got the ebook to the point to where it can be downloaded wants to get paid. It isn't like you can sell the first one for $10 million and give the others away free.
Complaint to FCC ?? (Score:5, Interesting)
Perhaps the filing of a complain to the FCC would be in order, maybe one to the DOJ antitrust division as well.
It worked for Google when Apple tried to pull the same thing with ads.
Re:You wanted it, you got it. (Score:4, Interesting)
You're acting as if something changed for the users here. Nothing has changed for them. Sure, some companies will have to think long and hard about how they want to approach the situation, but the user experience is the same
Kindle app is the single most heavy used one on my iPhone. If it disappears tomorrow, the user experience sure as hell won't be the same for me. In fact (given that I also own Kindle DX, and read on it as well, and want my books, bookmark sync etc), this would be reason good enough for me to switch back to Android phone, and buy an Android tablet rather than iPad.