Foundation Trilogy being removed from store?

Posted on Twitter this morning:

“ A note to all our followers who live outside the US and Canada – due to rights reasons, we won't be able to sell you The Foundation Trilogy from 30 June. If you would like to own this stunning set of Isaac Asimov’s masterpiece, place your order soon!”

Presumably this means it won’t be available to purchase in the UK after this month?!

Several other special interest publishers, such as Easton Press and Library of America, are declining to ship books to certain countries, sometimes because of rights issues and sometimes because of unreliable shipping. The only winners are the remailing services. All of which argues strongly for an international copyright standard.

>1 cb88: Yes, they mentioned in the Spring catalogue that it would be withdrawn from sale. I guessed it would be a right's issue, but good to know for sure.

I wonder if the recent Apple+ series influenced the rights-holders to invoke that, or if it was true all along. Seems a short window to make such a publication available.

...

I expect we have our Silicon Valley overlords to thank for that, and the dire tv adaptation they produced for their subscription service.

Seems bizarre, the original trilogy can’t be that far away from being in public domain.

>6 Uppernorwood: In the U.S. public domain is anything 1926 and earlier. The first Foundation book was published May 1942, so it will be a few years before they are public domain.

Will the trilogy remain on sale within the US and Canada? Or do they plan to drop it entirely due to the market shrinkage?

>8 Shadekeep: They have copies printed, they will continue selling in the regions they have the right to sell in... That's not the first time a book is only available in some geographical areas...

>9 AnnieMod: Indeed. As an example, US Buyers were unable to purchase Folio's edition of The Diary of Anne Frank, at least not from Folio. I purchased my copy second-hand after spending considerable time searching for one at a reasonable price.