Pushing Back Amazon? Not Too Likely...

Amazon's move to require POD publishers to use Booksurge in order to have their product sold as in-stock merchandise has various organizations raising a—probably futile—clamor. The Authors Guild said Friday "we're reviewing the antitrust and other legal implications of Amazon's bold move." The ASJA said it "will urge the Washington state attorney general's office to investigate whether Amazon's move constitutes restraint of trade or otherwise violates anti-trust laws."

But Amazon is likely to have covered most of the points that will be cited before it made the announcement. Indeed, controlling the POD books it sells may well have been the reason it bought BookSurge. Its current control of book in digital format was preceded by its purchase of Mobi. Then it released Kindle and began displaying the Kindle option alongside many conventional books. At the moment, although the product has been reviewed as less than perfect, Amazon can't meet the demand for its e-reader.

Can we say "vertical integration?" We can.