Amazon to respect territory rights

Amazon has moved to put UK publishers' minds at ease following serious concerns that its new digital initiatives will infringe territorial rights.

Fears have centred on Amazon Pages--which enables customers to purchase pages of books to be read online--and Amazon Upgrade, which gives online access to purchased titles.

Time Warner UK c.e.o. Ursula Mackenzie, chair of the Trade Publishers Council's rights group, wrote to Amazon about potential threats posed by Amazon to UK publishers' exclusive rights if online versions of US editions are accessible from around the world.

Mackenzie told The Bookseller that there would be serious consequences for UK publishers if the electronic world was to eschew territoriality, as it would then be a small step to the view that such rights are not worth maintaining for physical copies either.

But she received a response from senior Amazon executive Daniel Rose, who said Amazon "intends to respect territorial rights for Amazon Pages and Amazon Upgrade". Mackenzie said she was "delighted and relieved to hear that Amazon is taking the line it is".

TPC chair Ian Hudson added: "Amazon have committed that they will build in territorial contracts, and people will only be able to see the UK editions. This is exactly what happens on iTunes, so no one can say the technology doesn't exist."
alison.bone@bookseller.co.uk

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