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FROM
GEMSTAR:
A
Very Important eBook Announcement
June
18, 2003
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It is with deep regret that Gemstar eBook Group Limited
must announce that we are scaling back our eBook operations and that we
will ultimately be winding them down. We are both proud of, and grateful
for, your support and would have preferred to continue our business in
its present form. Unfortunately, however, we are not able to do so under
today's difficult market conditions.
We are writing now to explain the changes we are making immediately and
to describe the services that will continue to be available for at least
the next three years. Effective immediately, we will no longer be selling
eBook devices. To enable current users to purchase additional content,
we will continue to sell content until 5 PM PDT on July 16, 2003, at which
point we will cease to sell all books and periodical issues - either directly
to customers or through Powells.com. During this period, we will reduce
the price of most books (including Hillary Clinton's popular new memoirs)
to 40% off the publisher's suggested list price in appreciation for your
continuing support and in recognition of the limited period (described
below) during which your Online Bookshelves will remain available.
Subject to these changes, for at least the next three years, users will
be able to continue to use their eBook devices and content under the same
arrangements as they do today. Specifically, to promote your continued
use and enjoyment of your existing content, we will continue to maintain
and store purchased content on your private Online Bookshelves at least
through July 16, 2006 so that you may download content to your eBook device.
We will also continue to provide the newly released Personal Content feature
available through the web bookstore (http://www.gemstar-ebook.com and
then click Personal
Content) at least through July 16, 2006. We will decide prior to July
16, 2006 whether to continue to operate the eBook servers that support
these services or to shut the servers down after that date and will provide
you advance notification of any such shutdown. Whenever the servers are
shut down, your content will need to be stored locally on your eBook device
or in supplemental expansion memory that you would acquire from third
party sources.
With regard to your eBook devices, we will continue to honor the warranties
we provided on the GEB 1150 and GEB 2150 devices that we sold. Users who
purchased devices from other suppliers should continue to seek warranty
service from those suppliers pursuant to the warranties they provided.
To permit you to continue to enjoy your eBook content even if your out-of-warranty
device should fail, we will provide a replacement device from our current
inventory for so long as existing supplies last during the period our
servers remain in operation. In some cases, these replacement devices
will be a different model than your current device. Such replacements
will be available to all eBook users, not just those who purchased their
devices from us. In appreciation of your support, these replacements will
be made available at no charge to you other than a $30 shipping and handling
fee and accordingly will not carry any warranties (either express or implied).
For more information on how the replacement program will work, please
see our web site http://www.gemstar-ebook.com.
Some of you purchased GEB 1150 and GEB 2150 devices from SkyMall or our
eBook online store under a 60-day refund policy. If you purchased one
of these devices, you may obtain a refund by sending an email containing
your name and the address to which the device was shipped to refunds@ebook.gemstar.com
within 60 days after your date of purchase. Refund checks will be sent
in six to eight weeks.
Some of you have also paid for content not yet received through subscriptions
for periodicals or through the Monthly Content Plan. As soon as possible
after July 16, 2003, we will refund any bookstore credit balances that
may exist for undelivered periodical issues, Monthly Content Plan contracts,
or other service credits. We will first attempt to issue credit to the
credit card of record for your account. If we are unable to issue a credit
card credit, we will then attempt to send you a refund check. It is therefore
important that all customer account information including name, credit
card information, and address is accurate and current. To verify and update
your account information, you may:
- Go to the online eBook bookstore at www.gemstar-ebook.com
- Select LOG
IN from the top navigation bar
- Enter an eBook ID and password and then review and update your account
information
For further information on our plans and services, please see our web
site:
http://www.gemstar-ebook.com
Thank you for your support for the eBook business. We hope you will
continue to enjoy your eBook devices and content under the arrangements
we have described above.
Sincerely,
The Gemstar eBook Group
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