According to the New York Times, "Amazon.com has pulled books from Macmillan, one of the largest publishers in the United States, in a dispute over the pricing on e-books on the site. The publisher’s books can be purchased only from third parties on Amazon.com." (And you read that right--Amazon has pulled all of Macmillan's books, not just their e-books.)

Previously downloaded sample chapters from Macmillan e-books have been removed remotely from Kindles, a disconcerting echo of Amazon's handling of the "Orwell fiasco" some months ago.

Macmillan CEO's open letter here: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/lunch/free/. Amazon's response to the situation...is a terse "no comment." Le sigh.

This is just the latest story to feature consumers and artists caught between two dueling corporate behemoths. Insurance companies vs. hospitals, cable companies vs. cable channels, record companies vs. iTunes--and now Macmillan vs. Amazon. When Godzilla and Mothra throw down, it's the citizens of Tokyo who bear the brunt of the destruction; the monsters often lived to see another day.

From a consumer perspective, I would love to see a quick resolution. The ill-will towards corporations that is being generated is astounding. There don't seem to be any winners in these situations.

But from an author's perspective, I can understand Macmillan's insistence on raising e-book prices and letting the market determine the fair price--something that Apple, learning from their record company disputes, has already agreed to.

Read the full New York Times story here.