Amazon defends used book sales

16 Apr 2002 14:01

After criticism from the Authors Guild, Amazon argues that its secondhand book sales are good for authors and sellers alike

After being criticised by a literary group for selling used books online, Amazon is striking back, recruiting sellers to help it argue that its policy is good for the publishing industry and for readers.

In a letter to merchants who sell used books online through Amazon, chief executive Jeff Bezos defended the company's policy, saying that "Amazon.com is now, and has always been, supportive of and good for authors."

In the letter, a copy of which was posted to a usenet group, Bezos asks booksellers to write to the Author's Guild "explaining how the sale of used books actually helps the entire book industry."

The Authors Guild, the largest organisation representing published authors, asked its members earlier this month to remove links to Amazon from their Web sites. Neither Amazon nor the Authors Guild were immediately available to comment.

The Guild argues that Amazon's policy of listing used copies next to new versions of the same book for sale "does damage to the publishing industry and decreasing royalty payments to authors and profits to publishers."

But in his letter, Bezos countered that offering the used books encourages customers to visit the site more frequently, buying more books. And buying some books at a cheaper price "gives them a budget to buy more new books."

And in an argument familiar to those who have followed the debate over online music, Bezos pointed out that those who buy a book "are also buying the right to resell that book, to loan it out, or to even give it away if they want."

While he encouraged the used booksellers to be "polite and civil" in their letters to the Guild, he did take a few swipes at it himself, saying that this "is the same organisation that from time to time has advocated charging public libraries royalties on books they loan out."

E-commerce is transforming business around the globe. Get the latest headlines at ZDNet UK's E-commerce News Section.

Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the ZDNet news forum.

Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.