RANT 4

Source: Publishers Weekly, Title:  Redigi Plans to Sell Used E-Books, by Judith Rosen, July 27 2012, URL: www.publishersweekly.com>Home>Digital>Retailing, Viewed 13/8/2012.

Wow plans afoot to set up business for the re-selling of e-books. As I grimly clutch onto my hardcopy books resisting the lure of a kindle and e-book concept it seems ever forward thinking entrepreneur John Ossenmacher, founder, president and CEO of ReDigi is poised to start reselling e-books. He is currently in court battles regarding his ReDigi Web site (redigi.com) for reselling digital music siting this practice is the same as a used record store. (Though I’m sure the whole stoush is more complicated than this). The goal is to unlock the billions of dollars that consumers invest in digital goods by reselling them, using the partners’ patented cloud-based technology, enabling them to weed out pirated goods. E-books have a much higher ticket price than i-tunes songs.  If ReDigi is successful in court the way e-books and other digital products are sold will be upended as the products would get a second life on the resale market giving new revenue potential for publishers and authors.

“Ossenmacher calls the ReDigi concept of reselling digital files “revolutionary.” For books, it translates into income for both publishers and authors for the first time for used work. “A huge part of what we’ve done,” said Ossenmacher, “is to allow publishers to become part of the secondary market and get revenue whenever their creative work is sold.” Beyond that, ReDigi will be able to offer publishers sophisticated data about who reads their books and how often before the book is resold, as well as readers’ favorite passages and the ones they skipped.”

“Ossenmacher is convinced that there’s a large audience for used e-books. “As a company, we’re most excited about the book part,” he said. “In our book beta, people loved it. They said, ‘I never thought I’d be an e-book user, but it’s so much less expensive.’ ” He also emphasizes that ReDigi is here to help publishers. It doesn’t modify their files. Instead it adds a marking that enables it to know if an e-book starts showing up on a file-sharing site. “One of the beauties of ReDigi is it gives publishers a whole new control,” he said.”

Is this another nail in the coffin for books and books sellers’ not just cheaper e-books but even cheaper “second hand” e-books. I will miss the joy of strolling through the book shop, perusing its shelves of hidden treasures and potential adventures. The vast array of colours, the bookshop aroma and if lucky, the excitement in a good find, the thrill of buying and taking it home anticipating that first opening and turning of the page. Will the tactile experience disappear?