The analogy may not be far, some observers of the book industry used to say. Editors, publishers of educational books, in particular, have long used, book sales of reprints churning out every two years. But the Internet, particularly sites like Amazon and eBay, millions of consumers an easy way to find cheap books - often for less than $ 1 - without license fees to pay publishers or authors.

Mass-Market publishers are not safe, used books interesting phenomenon is a problem of addressing, but also others in the industry have their heads.

“We believe it is not good for the industry, and it has an effect, but we can not measure,” said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, a trade group . “It has always been used book sales, but it is always background noise something. Now it is on the right side of the light of a new book on Amazon.

Lorraine Shanley, a senior partner at Market International, a consultant on publication, said the industry was just starting, for the dimensions of the problem.

“Good business for consumer policy are books such as Napster, it was the music industry,” she said. “The question is” How does the book industry address its used book problem? “There is no simple answer, especially since nobody is breaking any laws here.

Shanley, whose company reported on used books this month in their newsletters, publishing trends, said that publishers were beginning the consequences. “We asked publishers, like many a topic, and the answers are” I also many other problems to deal “or” Yes, this is a problem, but it is not easy solves I can ‘t really concentrate, “she said.

Greg Greeley, Amazon Vice President or media products for North America and Japan, strenuously disagreed with the idea that online sales of used books for the publication of the branch. And some publishers are not really for this e-Business used as a problem.

“It is often argued that there are two types of buyers,” said Chad Haight, publisher of Seattle-based Sasquatch Books. These are the bargain hunters, go to bookstores used by the search for a Deal, then he said, are those who, “Go into bookstores often looking for new books. It is d ‘ another category of customers. ” The discount to buyers, Haight said, it is expected by the end of shopping on Amazon.

“I think that they (in the case of Amazon), welcomed the availability of the publication industry,” said Haight.

Furthermore, he added that, unlike the music industry, publishing world has never planned books to a single user of the product. In fact, sharing a good book, that most, it seems almost like a moral obligation.

“We have always believed that if you sell someone a book, they are likely to redistribute it to someone,” said Haight, and added that this may help, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an author, editor for an end higher turnover across the line.

Pat Soden, editor of the University of Washington Press, he said more concerned about critics see copies of books, which are not available for retail, are resold.