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SameOldStory · 09-23-2010, 07:58 PM

Discounted E-Books Spark Outcry From French Shops

I always thought that the high cost of European books was due to Vats.

"For 30 years, Thierry Meaudre's family bookshop has been protected from competition from big retailers, thanks to a law that bars heavy discounting on books"

"While independent bookstores and small publishers in the U.S. are left to the mercy of market forces, those in much of Europe are protected"

What other things are "protected" in Europe?

Buggy whips? Slide rules? Whale bone corsets? Laudanum bottlers?

And while the shop owners are protected, what about the public? They have to pay higher book prices in addition to the Vats.

What business owner wouldn't want to be protected from competition?

Ahhh. I found the reason;
"Hachette Livre, France's biggest publisher, supports Mr. Legendre's proposed law. Publishers like to have control of the pricing of their books "

09-23-2010, 07:58 PM	#1
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	French book shops (and other European book stores) Discounted E-Books Spark Outcry From French Shops I always thought that the high cost of European books was due to Vats. "For 30 years, Thierry Meaudre's family bookshop has been protected from competition from big retailers, thanks to a law that bars heavy discounting on books" "While independent bookstores and small publishers in the U.S. are left to the mercy of market forces, those in much of Europe are protected" What other things are "protected" in Europe? Buggy whips? Slide rules? Whale bone corsets? Laudanum bottlers? And while the shop owners are protected, what about the public? They have to pay higher book prices in addition to the Vats. What business owner wouldn't want to be protected from competition? Ahhh. I found the reason; "Hachette Livre, France's biggest publisher, supports Mr. Legendre's proposed law. Publishers like to have control of the pricing of their books "