Amazon accused of 'bullying' smaller UK publishers

Amazon is facing a battle with UK publishers as it seeks to secure more advantageous terms in its latest round of contract negotiations.

The web giant wants the right to print books itself if publishers fail to provide adequate stock, and wants publishers to match any pricing deals it offers to other distributers.

One mid-sized firm accused Amazon of "bullying," and warned that the company was destroying the industry.

Amazon has not commented on the issue.

Trade magazine the Bookseller was first to report that Amazon had introduced a number of new clauses in its recent contract proposals to independent UK publishers.

'Print-on-demand'

Among these were the right for Amazon to print its own copies of a book if a publisher runs out of stock.

The Seattle-based company would do this using its "print-on-demand" equipment, and would require publishers to hand over electronic versions of their titles.

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in the US in 1994

The process, which can print books more quickly than a traditional press, is generally thought to offer an inferior product.

Publishers are concerned that if Amazon used this method to print books, customers would blame them, and not the tech firm, for the quality.

Another clause, known in the industry as a "most favoured nation" (MFN) proposal, asks publishers not to offer promotions to distributors without also offering them to Amazon.

This would include selling books at a discount on the publishers' own websites.

It also demands that publishers inform Amazon before offering e-book deals to other clients, and give the tech firm the same terms.