Tag: amazon

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Where I come from, we call this Capitalism

Judge Rules Against Apple in E-Books Trial

Apple also included a condition in its contracts, called the most-favored nation clause, requiring the publishers to allow Apple to sell e-books at the same price as the books would be sold in any other store.

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The Justice Department said that the publishers used their relationship with Apple, combined with the most-favored nation clause, to threaten Amazon to switch to the agency model so they could raise prices. If Amazon did not agree to those terms, the government said, the publishers intended to withhold their e-books from the retailer until the more expensive hardcover books had been on the market for awhile.

I still can’t figure out why the DOJ is doing Amazon.com’s dirty work.

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Amazon’s Latest Hustle

Hus•tle. \ˈhə-səl\ 1. n., the unique partner dance done in ballrooms and nightclubs to disco music.; 2. v., to sell something to or obtain something from by energetic and especially underhanded activity.

Scrip. /skrip/ n., a certificate to be exchanged for goods, as at a company store.

Amazon.com, like Microsoft before them with Microsoft Points, have rediscovered Company Scrip. We usually just call these schemes “gift cards” or “gift certificates,” but this one is different. Per the Terms of Use, the value is subject to change, there are no refunds, and it isn’t transferrable. So it is actually worse than scrip.

The lock-in continues. Amazon.com have announced a program called “Amazon Coins,” whereby you give them money and they give you credit to use to purchase apps and games. They haven’t included books and other goods in the program, but I’m sure that is only a matter of time.

This seems like a hustle to me. Then again, if you are using an Android device, you are used to being hustled.

I’ve provided two definitions for the word “hustle” at the top of this entry. Deciding which definition is appropriate for Amazon Coins is left as an exercise for the reader.