I got a question from a guy named Mark over the weekend.
Could you answer a question for me? If I used a free ISBN at a printer like lulu, and I later decided to have the same book printed elsewhere, would I still be allowed to use that ISBN, even though Lulu owns it, or would I have to get a different ISBN for the same book now?
The answer: If you are using Lulu or CreateSpace and you are using their free services, then you cannot take the ISBN with you if you get it printed anywhere else. They own the ISBN. If owning it is important to you (& you’re in the US), you can buy an ISBN through the upgraded services at Lulu, or you can go obtain your own. There’s a big discount if you buy more than one.
So if you do want to buy an ISBN straight from the “Manufacturer” you need to visit: https://www.myidentifiers.com
Again: buying two single ISBNs costs the same as buying a block of 10.