INDEX // mb Ideas on Publishing Books in Canada (and other attempts to write good)

I was wondering why Kindle had not made it across the Atlantic. Now I know why.

Posted by Emily King on 17 February 2009 @ 9am

THANK YOU!!! Finally someone answered a question I have asked many, many times in the past year. No one “in the know” has seemed that interested in the question, let alone the response.

While this does not give us any date to hope for, it does give me a bit of an understanding that I should not be holding my breath. :}

Thanks for getting to the bottom of this.

Posted by Gillian Brouse on 17 February 2009 @ 9am

Again, thank you for answering the question that “no one… seemed interested in…” It helps me be happier with my decision to buy the Sony Reader rather than wait for Kindle. It ain’t coming anytime soon it seems.

Posted by Judith Nixon on 27 February 2009 @ 2pm

I’m not sure Jasper Wireless is the cause. In the United States the iPhone Kindle app runs over the AT&T wireless network, not Sprint/Jasper. In Canada, the Kindle iPhone app isn’t available. Thus, I’m more inclined to believe the territorial rights you mentioned are the cause.

However, Jasper could be keeping the physical Kindle device out of Canada and other countries.

Maybe it’s the case of a little of column A and a little of column B.

Posted by David on 5 March 2009 @ 4pm

Hi David — the iPhone app is a different situation. It is a territorial rights problem for sure. The whispernet technology in the Kindle 1 and 2 is through Jasper and until a Canadian mobile provider can do what Jasper can do, or until jasper itself services Canada, we will be Kindless in Canada.

Posted by mb on 5 March 2009 @ 5pm

For anyone in Canada who wishes they could install the Kindle app on their iPod Touch/iPhone, then check out the app called “Shortcovers”. For accessing around 1/4 million free books that are out of copyright, “Stazna” is your best bet. And although it costs a few bucks, and only has 20 or so titles, “Classics” is the nicest e-book application.

Posted by Mike van Lammeren on 16 March 2009 @ 8am

The problem is international copy write laws and how author register in Us can get paid for books sold in Canada. Same problem with amazon mp3.

Posted by dbelsham on 20 May 2009 @ 3pm

[...] While some may argue the lack of Kindle in the US has something to do with the difficulty of negotiating a deal with a cellular provider (similar to what we saw with the delayed iPhone release), IndexMB offers a different hypothesis: “the Kindle uses a evdo modem that works on Sprint’s cell network in the US. Most people think Amazon contracted directly with Sprint. They didn’t. They signed up with one of Sprint’s MVNO’s — Jasper. Jasper was a new company at the time and I am willing to bet that Amazon’s contract with Jasper is exclusive. For the Kindle to grow, Jasper has to grow. And the MVNO market is dead everywhere but in the US and Jasper’s specialty — machine-to-machine cellular — has yet to explode like I bet they were hoping.” [Index//MB] [...]

Posted by Amazon Kindle Coming to Canada? | cyberbuzz on 23 May 2009 @ 6am

I’d settle for a Kindle without wireless; if I had to sync with my PC, I’d be fine with that. I’d just like to be able to buy a Kindle and associated data content.

Posted by Ian on 30 May 2009 @ 4pm

There is no problem with copyright laws and how ebooks are sold in Canada. I have about 300 ebooks in my collection already (if not more!), and I bought them mostly from US online vendors.

So What’s the problem? Not copyright Laws. I am going to blog that the answer provided here is the most likely answer anyone is ever going to get on this subject as it rings of authenticity and typical American logic in the corporate world of contracts.

If Jasper Wireless plays it’s cards right, it stands to make considerable concession money by “subleasing” it’s contractural rights to a Canadian Carrier. That’s what I would do. Let them spend the money to provide the service to Amazon, just sit back and collect the royalties. It’s the American way LOL

FWIW, I am trying to buy a Kindle here in Canada also – I am more than happy to connect via my computer to download more books, and not from just Amazon – I buy from about 6 or 8 other vendors, most for a lot less than what Amazon sells.

Here is a little secret – The mobipocket format of ebook is the same as the Kindle uses, which is also the same as the Palm .prc format (just change the filename extension!) Almost every one of my ebooks are in the Palm .prc format. Change the filename of the ebook to .mobi and it will work on the Kindle. Don’t throw away your old Palm IIIc yet!

Posted by Edwin on 19 June 2009 @ 10pm

NIce post and thank-you, mb.

Posted by G Tryon on 2 September 2009 @ 9pm

Time to update this analysis, now that the Kindle will ship to 100 other countries around the planet — but still not to Canada.

Posted by Chris S on 7 October 2009 @ 11am

If I purchase a Kindle while in the US for winter holiday and we have 3G available in our area, will I be able to purchase the books???

Posted by D on 24 October 2009 @ 5pm

This doesn’t answer as to why markets like Ecuador can get the Kindle.

Posted by Guywire62 on 27 October 2009 @ 4am

Why would people buy a networked toaster??

Posted by julia on 21 November 2009 @ 1pm

@Julia — That was a joke.

Posted by mb on 21 November 2009 @ 1pm