Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Aurelie Filippetti, France’s minister of culture and communications, announced that she will "introduce legislation to block Amazon from offering free shipping on books already sold at a discount by the online retailer, according to Reuters. France and other European countries have long fixed the price of books to keep bookstores in business. Current laws keep Amazon from offering discounts on books that exceed 5 percent of the sale price as set by the publisher. But even that seems not enough. Last year, the country’s culture ministry also suggested other forms of aid for bookstores, with help from both publishers and the government."
It was reported about a month ago that Filippetti "has made attacking Amazon for being a 'quasi-monopoly' part of her portfolio of complaints about internet-based companies."
One interesting note in the Bloomberg story: Filippetti apparently also is a novelist with several books available on Amazon.
It was reported about a month ago that Filippetti "has made attacking Amazon for being a 'quasi-monopoly' part of her portfolio of complaints about internet-based companies."
One interesting note in the Bloomberg story: Filippetti apparently also is a novelist with several books available on Amazon.
- KC's View:
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This is the same country that, if I'm not mistaken, has a 35-hour work week as a matter of law. Add this new proposed legislation to the list of things suggesting that France is not prepared to compete in a 21st century economy where the real go-getters knock off 35 hours by Wednesday, and where you don't try to deny the realities of modern competition.
Il n'est pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir...
