To launch its new Kindle Fire tablet, Amazon scored a sweet deal: Exclusive digital rights to 100 DC Comics titles. That annoyed Barnes & Noble, which sells its own rival Nook Color tablet.
So it responded like a toddler in a huff: It yanked copies of all 100 titles off its bookstore shelves.
"We will not stock physical books in our stores if we are not offered the available digital format," the company's chief merchant announced. The move, which comics industry blog Bleeding Cool denounced as a "scorched-earth policy," came just months after Barnes & Noble significantly expanded its comics selection and touted its plans to become "THE destination for comics lovers." -- Stacy Cowley
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