3 ms·

As for the “unauthorized” sign: Book publishers used to print India/SEA-only editions of books only sold in those countries, significantly cheaper than in the

by haunter 4mo ago

As for the “unauthorized” sign: Book publishers used to print India/SEA-only editions of books only sold in those countries, significantly cheaper than in the US or Europe. Then a Thai guy realized that this would be a good business opportunity: buy cheaper books and then import them to the US. Wiley brought him to court, went to the SCOTUS, Wiley lost the case. So they ended up printing cheaper edition books. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtsaeng_v._John_Wiley_%26_Sons,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtsaeng_v._John_Wiley_%26_So.... Mind you "price discrimination" like this still exist in the digital world where locality is easier to be enforced. For example Steam has extensive regional pricing across countries so the same game can be significantly cheaper in Russia, India, Brazil etc. compared to US or EU An example: https://steamdb.info/app/413150/ https://steamdb.info/app/413150/ https://partner.steamgames.com/pricing/explorer https://partner.steamgames.com/pricing/explorer https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/pricing/currencies https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/pricing/currencies

Joker_vD 4mo ago
When Kirtsaeng moved to the US in 1997 to pursue an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Cornell University,[4] he discovered that textbooks (not just those published by Wiley, but of other publishers too) were considerably more expensive to buy in the United States than in his home country. Kirtsaeng asked his relatives from Thailand to buy such books at home and ship them to him to sell at a profit. He sold the imported books on eBay, making $1.2 million in revenue, although the parties disputed the net profit amount. A text book case (ha!) about one of the mechanisms that enable the free markets and trade to bring the prices of goods down.
stavros 4mo ago
Wow, how did we go from "it's impossible to enforce region locking online because you can transmit information instantly across the world" to "locality more easily enforced in the digital world"?
- exe34 4mo ago
  Most people haven't started using vpns yet.
  - stavros 4mo ago
    You can't fool me with a VPN when your credit card is a US one.
  - close04 4mo ago
    The wonderful world of “no ownership” means that if the store owner suspects anything is afoot they can pester you for evidence of residence and ban your account. Instead of saving 20% you risk losing 80% (don’t know the real price difference).
    - exe34 4mo ago
      If buying isn't owning, then piracy isn't stealing.
- vitally3643 4mo ago
  Silicon valley happened
regenschutz 4mo ago
Wow, I've only ever heard of regional pricing being described as an overwhelmingly positive concept. When phrased as "price discrimination", it invokes a completely different set of (negative) emotions in me. It's weirdly uncomfortable knowing that phrasing has such a big impact on one's emotions. It really shows how vulnerable we are to manipulation.
- vitally3643 4mo ago
  That's why the current crop of authoritarian "think of the children" propaganda is so unreasonably effective
- mewse-hn 4mo ago
  > It's weirdly uncomfortable knowing that phrasing has such a big impact on one's emotions. It really shows how vulnerable we are to manipulation. My dad would discuss it in high school english courses: terrorist vs freedom fighter etc

by haunter 4mo ago

Joker_vD 4mo ago

When Kirtsaeng moved to the US in 1997 to pursue an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Cornell University,[4] he discovered that textbooks (not just those published by Wiley, but of other publishers too) were considerably more expensive to buy in the United States than in his home country. Kirtsaeng asked his relatives from Thailand to buy such books at home and ship them to him to sell at a profit. He sold the imported books on eBay, making $1.2 million in revenue, although the parties disputed the net profit amount. A text book case (ha!) about one of the mechanisms that enable the free markets and trade to bring the prices of goods down.

stavros 4mo ago

Wow, how did we go from "it's impossible to enforce region locking online because you can transmit information instantly across the world" to "locality more easily enforced in the digital world"?

exe34 4mo ago
Most people haven't started using vpns yet.
- stavros 4mo ago
  You can't fool me with a VPN when your credit card is a US one.
- close04 4mo ago
  The wonderful world of “no ownership” means that if the store owner suspects anything is afoot they can pester you for evidence of residence and ban your account. Instead of saving 20% you risk losing 80% (don’t know the real price difference).
  - exe34 4mo ago
    If buying isn't owning, then piracy isn't stealing.
vitally3643 4mo ago
Silicon valley happened

regenschutz 4mo ago

Wow, I've only ever heard of regional pricing being described as an overwhelmingly positive concept. When phrased as "price discrimination", it invokes a completely different set of (negative) emotions in me. It's weirdly uncomfortable knowing that phrasing has such a big impact on one's emotions. It really shows how vulnerable we are to manipulation.

vitally3643 4mo ago
That's why the current crop of authoritarian "think of the children" propaganda is so unreasonably effective
mewse-hn 4mo ago
> It's weirdly uncomfortable knowing that phrasing has such a big impact on one's emotions. It really shows how vulnerable we are to manipulation. My dad would discuss it in high school english courses: terrorist vs freedom fighter etc