“The defining characteristic of the direct market is non-returnability: unlike bookstore and newsstand distribution, direct-market distribution prohibits distributors and retailers from returning their unsold merchandise for refunds.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_market

I am one of those ‘billions of people’. 1981. I own many books from
before my birth atleast a dozen are over 100 years old. Your library may
vary but don’t act like it’s incredulous.

“Major publishing houses may be international but they still print
different versions in different territories due to spelling and other
regional language variations.”

Not unless it an educational text. If it’s a creative work they can’t do
that without the authors permission after sign-off on final edits.

Just making you aware.

Like a billion or so other people I wasn’t alive in the 60s or 70s, so I don’t have any books that were printed in this time – only reprints from the 90s onwards.

Major publishing houses may be international but they still print different versions in different territories due to spelling and other regional language variations.

Regardless, I was merely pointing out the obvious fact that not everybody knows everything and so perhaps we shouldn’t get so wound up when people aren’t aware of something. ;)

I’m pretty sure the first constitutional amendment would allow you to release whatever song you want.

Right, but I can also set absurd terms and, provided I do not force anyone to use my product and the terms aren’t anything illegal (such as rob a bank), I’m not doing anything unethical.

I just replied to your comment to clarify a point. You said it wasn’t censorship because the books have already been released and readers could buy them elsewhere. Even if the books weren’t out and readers had no way to get them anywhere except comic stores that pulled the DC titles Marvel specified, it still wouldn’t be censorship.

As you said, maybe their gamble will pay off. Or maybe it will drive more casual readers to DC and smaller independent publishers.

It seems that I’m less inclined to hang out with my friend Modigliani these days, and we’re just not getting along. If you would be so kind as to rip 50 of his works out of the frames and send me the canvas, I’d happily send you one unique painting out of my latest series of cubist works.

All best,

Picasso

It’s common in the book-selling business to be able to return
mass-market paperbacks to the publisher for a refund if they don’t sell.

I understand that but I still don’t see how this offer would hurt D.C. since it apparently requires retailers to send said covers to Marvel. (Unless Marvel can claim the refund for themselves, which seems unlikely.)

Either way;

Bad business is still legal business and you know the old saying about risks sometimes paying off big. A few may piss and moan and leave, but comics have lifelong fans and new ones all the time (hell just look at all the new readers, titles and merch from the last 10 years of Marvel movies) and there is NO shortage of artist and writers willing to work in the industry.

 I’m pretty sure the first constitutional amendment would allow you to release whatever song you want.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cop_Killer_%28song%29

Gulliver, how is it not censorship when the whole point of Marvel’s
campaign is to prevent readers from being able to read, or even to
access, DC’s books?  Isn’t that what censorship is?

Whatever their point, they are not in fact preventing readers from doing this. They’re preventing sellers from selling both theirs and their competitors product. They’re under no ethical, moral or legal obligation to sell their product to any given store. Anyone can still sell and buy DC’s product as long as DC is willing to sell them. They just can’t have Marvel’s too. If Marvel was actually blocking stores or readers from buying DC comics, then that would be censorship. Mind you, I agree that what Marvel is doing is sleazy. If I was a comic reader I’d be disgusted with how Marvel is treating me, their customer, and I’d go ahead and boycott them if they didn’t change their terms. I specifically don’t use the products of about two dozen or so companies for that very reason. But it’s not actually censorship, it’s those companies alienating my business and the money I might otherwise spend with them.

Censorship is stopping someone from having access to information someone else wants to provide. It isn’t refusing to provide your own information if someone does access information someone else wants to provide.

This isn’t a book burning, banning or eradication just a PR stunt. If you think DC is any better you might as well give up on mainstream comics all together.

(Gulliver, how is it not censorship when the whole point of Marvel’s campaign is to prevent readers from being able to read, or even to access, DC’s books?  Isn’t that what censorship is?)

Here’s the contact info, if you’d like to send a comment:

Marvel subscriptions: marvelprint@sunbeltfs.com
Marvel media relations: jeff_klein@dkcnews.com

Example: Random House: New York, London, Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong.

Most haven’t printed the stripped book warning in years because it was considered common practice and with the digital age the business models and focuses have changed. Grab and old high circulation paperback book from the 60s or 70s and you’ll see these listed on the copyright page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripped_book

edit: guess I was late to the party but yes as stated above by others…stripped books.

I’m not even gonna get into the whole destroying literature thing ’cause I think we’re all on the same page. Babum!

I’ve just checked a dozen or so of the hundreds of books I have in my house and not a single one of those I checked has any sort of notice mentioning removed covers. 

So I assume this fine print is a US thing, so overseas readers like myself would not naturally understand.

> Stripped covers are the common way for receiving credit for unsold goods in the world of books (and comics).:

Having worked at bookstores, and having owned a comic book store (HeavyInk.com), I’ll point out that you are HALF correct.

Comics used to work in the send-the-cover-back model, but stopped working that way 25 or so years back.

Comics now are sold by the distributor (the monopoly Diamond Comics) on a no-returns basis.