According to The Bookseller:
In an internal memo seen by The Bookseller, Richard Charkin, executive director of Bloomsbury, said for backlist titles the company would maintain “e-books are an integral part of volume rights” and “should be commissioned, edited, designed, promoted, sold, and accounted together with print editions—any split of these rights is counterproductive and wrong for all concerned”. He added: “The non-compete clause in most contracts precludes a third party issuing an e-book.”
The article says that Penguin’s chief executive, John Makinson, has decided to refuse books if digital rights are not granted. The article goes on to discuss the positions of various agents and this seems to sum up their feelings:
David Miller, agent at-Rogers Coleridge and White, said: “An agent is an agent and not a publisher—we’re there to protect authors’ rights as well as increase their revenue streams—but in a world where the digital environment is opening other opportunitities, it would be wrong not to think different thoughts as to how authors make their income and attract new -audiences.”
I can certainly see that the publishers have concerns that any promotional expenses incurred for a DTB will benefit an ebook from another publisher. However, the paperback or trade paperback rights have often been sold separately from the hardcover rights, so I don’t see why ebooks ought to be bundled with any other editions. I suppose the publishers are also concerned that if one publisher gets worldwide ebook rights, and releases the book before other national publishers release the DTB, it may cut into their sales. On the other hand, I’m still waiting for ebooks from some of my favorite authors to make it over the pond, and I don’t know if they ever will.