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By David Rothman

consumeristimageSo reports The Consumerist. Books about computers and the Net are the biggest offenders, with 80 pecent above $9.99. Granted, all kinds of complexities exist. For example, some tech books bear high prices because the potential readership for them is limited. Still, the upward price creep is another reminder that Amazon needs close watching. Could Amazon’s efforts to herd people into the Kindle and Mobipocket formats also result in higher prices—with Amazon enjoying more than its share of the profits?

Oprah as quoted by the Consumerist: “”I know it’s expensive in these times, but it’s not frivolous because” the Kindle “will pay for itself. The books are much cheaper, and you’re saving paper.”

A kinder, gentler way for Amazon and publishers to get the public to pay somewhat more: Drop the DRM and standardize on ePub so people can own their books for real. With DRM, as shown by the OverDrive-Fictionwise mess, consumers don’t truly own their books. They’re just leasing them. Consumers have no assurance of permanent access in the original format. Publishing is a tough business, and publishers need to be profitable. DRMless books could help by increasing the value offered readers. To Fictionwise’s considerable credit, it’s adopting the ePub format and would rather not have to deal with DRM.

(Thanks to Dear Author‘s Jane.)

 
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