German Authors Sign Amazon Protest Letter

More than 1,000 writers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland--including Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek--have now signed an open letter to Amazon, "accusing it of manipulating its recommended reading lists and lying to customers about the availability of books as retaliation in a dispute over e-book prices," the New York Times reported. Amazon's battle with the German subsidiaries of Swedish media company Bonnier Group has similarities to the Hachette dispute.

"Amazon's customers have, until now, had the impression that these lists are not manipulated and they could trust Amazon. Apparently that is not the case. Amazon manipulates recommendation lists. Amazon uses authors and their books as a bargaining chip to exact deeper discounts," read the letter, which was to be sent to Amazon and to appear in leading publications today. The authors released a digital version Friday at a new website organizers created after some German publications leaked the story, resulting in an "overwhelming response."

The Times noted that the decision to publish the letter "was made weeks before the annual book fair in Frankfurt, which starts a new season of price negotiations. Gerhard Ruiss, of the IG Authors Austrian, the Interest Group of Austrian Authors, which also signed the open letter, said the action was only the first step to raise readers' awareness about the issue. Other steps will include discussions and demonstrations at the fair, which takes place in October."

In an e-mail response, Amazon said Bonnier "offers most of its titles under conditions that make it significantly more expensive for us to sell a digital version, as compared to a printed edition. E-books can and should be offered cheaper than printed books, and this should also go for the prices at which booksellers buy from publishers."

Explaining why he signed the letter, John von Düffel told Deutsche Welle that an appeal to readers "could hit Amazon in a sensitive spot. It can exist without me--but without customers, it's a bit more difficult.... Amazon is an online shop, but not the only one. Amazon is a good thing for people who don't leave their home. But for those who do leave their home, walking to the closest bookstore to order a book is unproblematic. That only takes 24 hours and you don't have to go to the post office. There was life before Amazon, and there will also be life after Amazon."

The letter was jointly initialized by the German Pen Center and the Börsenverein, the German publishers, wholesalers and booksellers association, Deutsche Welle noted.

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