To be clear, publishers can set any price they want on the content they own.  Amazon never set (nor could it) the price at which Macmillan was selling their content.  Amazon was just asking for the freedom to determine what price they could sell it to their customer at - even if it was below they price they were purchasing it at.<p>You don't think Amazon/WalMart/Target forced Scribner to sell "Under the Dome" for $9, do you?   Hardcover releases are typically sold at a 47 percent discount, Under the Dome has a list of $35, so amazon probably paid around $18.00 for that, and turned around and sold it to their customer for $9.<p>That's what Amazon was trying to get the rights to do with eBooks.  Macmillan didn't want Amazon discounting books to their customers.