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A Question about International Versions of Books ? ? ? ?

I bought a textbook for my midwifery apprenticeship, it's an international version and clearly says on the cover (now that I have received it) -

"This book is not intended for sale in the Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan or the USA."

Why would a book say that? What's the difference between an international version of a book and something you can pick up at Barnes and Noble?

Can anyone shed light upon this?

Update:

Awesome explanation!

I will have to double check to make sure it's the same exact info though. It is one of the textbooks that I will be tested out of, so I have to be sure.

Thanks!

1 Answer

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    There is almost certainly no difference in the contents of the book, provided it's the same edition number.

    What's happened is that the author of the book has sold publishing rights for certain countries or book formats to one publisher, and for other countries or book formats to another publisher. Each publisher can only sell and promote within the countries they have the rights for (and/or the format they have rights for). If you Google your book, you'll almost certainly find the same book with a different publisher (or possibly a different format, or hardcover instead of softcover etc.) being sold in the countries listed on yours as "not intended for sale".

    Of course, with the internet, it's all pretty blurred. I regularly buy books from amazon.com which are listed as "not intended for sale in Europe". I may be in the UK, my computer's in the UK...but the book's for sale in the US. They couldn't list it on amazon.co.uk, though, because that would be "for sale in Europe".

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