Online retailer Amazon says a dispute between it and publisher Hachette that has made it more difficult to find Hachette books on the site could drag out.

It is even saying that customers should go to its competitors if they need a book published by the major New York publishing house quickly.

The e-commerce giant said it has been ordering less stock from Hachette and stopped letting customers pre-order books by Hachette authors, which include JK Rowling and Michael Connelley. The changes had been widely reported but Amazon had not commented on them previously.

Amazon said it was "not optimistic" the companies would reach an agreement soon. Hachette did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Amazon and Hachette are reportedly at odds over terms for e-book prices.

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