Why Do They Hate (And Fear) Amazon? Count the Ways
Is the future of book selling going to hinge on making a choice between a big corporation and a national treasure?
Earlier today the government released hundreds of e-mails received by the Justice Department in the aftermath of announcing its price-fixing lawsuit against Apple and some of the nation’s largest book publishers. The e-mails, now available on the DOJ Web site, offer a window into the angst felt by bookstore owners, literary agents, and authors who worry that the government may be paving the way for Jeff Bezos’ coldly efficient juggernaut to wipe out a generations-old way of life that has been part of the American cultural fabric.
Hyperbole? Perhaps, but the outcome of the case will have ramifications for Apple, Amazon, a clutch of big publishers and, perhaps, the thousands of book retailers still in existence throughout the country.
“These brick and mortar bookstores are a vital part of the bookselling community,” wrote Denise Marcil, who runs a literary agency in New York. “By being able to physically see and handle books, consumers are able to purchase titles in ways they wouldn’t necessarily be able to online, and are also opened to a more diverse purchasing experience than they would be if only virtual bookselling existed.”