Amazon Defends Its Stance Against Hachette

Russ Grandinetti, Amazon's senior vice president of Kindle content, defended the company against criticism that it is using its growing clout in electronic books to bully a major publisher into onerous contractual terms, saying the online retailer is fighting for better prices for its customers.

He indicated the retailer was willing to suffer some damage to its reputation and was simply doing what is "in the long-term interest of our customers." There is some risk for Amazon if its customers get frustrated that they can't find certain titles and look elsewhere. But Grandinetti said the company has been down this road before.