Hachette takes on Amazon

Following reports last week that Amazon was removing the "Buy now" button from leading authors published by Hachette Livre in order to press for better terms, Roger Tagholme in Publishing News reports that the company is fighting back.

Hachettes's dispute with Amazon is being watched closely by the entire industry and, in particular, by other publishers who admire the stance being taken by Hachette Livre UK CEO Tim Hely Hutchinson.

One publisher told PN: “It needs someone like Hachette or Random to stand up to Amazon and say 'no more'. Otherwise, Amazon are going to continue to pick people off, getting half a percent here, half a percent there.”