[aclug-L] Re: B&N

[John Reinke <jmreinke@xxxxxxxxx>]

>On Sun, Mar 31, 2002 at 12:56:57PM -0600, Kirk Lancaster wrote:
>>
>>  Last night I visited the Barnes & Noble at Kellogg and
>>  Rock.  After looking at the computer section, I asked
>>  the manager why there were displays of books published
>>  by Microsoft where the O'Reilly books were normally
>>  displayed.  He said that a few weeks ago the New York
>>  office ordered all the B&N stores to do this.  I asked
>>  him to forward my objection to the corporate office and
>>  he agreed to try.
>>
>>  I do not object to books published by Microsoft.  However,
>>  if these books are placed in prominent displays in the
>>  majority of the prime locations in the computer sections
>>  of Barnes & Noble stores, then I object.  Microsoft
>>  has been found to constitute a monopoly by the courts.
>>  I would have hoped that Barnes and Noble would not
>>  assist Microsoft in maintaining (and strengthening) its
>>  monopoly by replacing displays by publishers like
>>  O'Reilly with displays by Microsoft or displays which
>  > promote only Microsoft products.

I don't know the whole story or if B&N follows this practice, but it 
is typical in other types of stores for the manufacturer of products 
to pay the store extra to have their product displayed in prominent 
locations in the store. This is fair, although in this case Microsoft 
would probably be able to out-spend other computer book publishers. 
It sounds like this could be the case, since it is books PUBLISHED 
(according to the original post) by Microsoft rather than just 
"best-selling" books about Microsofty things.

Besides just sending your comments to B&N, you might want to check 
with O'Reilly & Associates to see if they had been paying for that 
shelf space in B&N  and have since stopped paying.

Just a thought...

John

As an afterthought:
In the case Microsoft didn't pay extra, B&N typically has another 
almost-as-prominent section for Peachpit Press books, so surely they 
wouldn't have to completely give up the much larger O'Reilly section 
first.
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