FRANCE: law passed to limit amazon’S DISCOUNT France has begun a new chapter in the saga of its online book wars, with French MPs unanimously backing a move that will curb the discounting power of Amazon in the country. Warning that small independent bookstores were facing unfair competition from the US internet firm, MPs supported a bill that will prevent it combining free delivery with 5% discounts on books. In a rare show of unity, parliamentarians on the right and left voted for the move to defend the French cultural exception against market forces and global digital powerhouses. The bill, which must now be approved by the senate, is the latest round of French politicians taking on the might of the major US internet firms. Since 1981 French law has fixed book-prices so that readers pay the same whether they buy online, from a big high street chain, or from a small bookseller. Extensive discounting is banned. The government said the measure has saved its independent bookstores from the ravages of free-market capitalism that hit the UK when it abandoned fixed prices in the 1990s. The law, which applies to all online booksellers, does allow for a small amount of discounting – as long as it is no more than 5%. Small booksellers argue they cannot compete with Amazon because it provides free postage and free fast delivery deals on top of 5% discount. gu/p/3j9eq/tw via @guardian
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 10:38:35 +0000