[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

i agree. i don't think it's about being unwilling to head into the 21st century (besides the other obvious insinuation there) :P *sigh* i don't want bookstores to go away! i do my part and buy when i step into a bookstore i would state my other thoughts as well but i might get flamed for it *hides*

Well, if the French publishers are resembling the Dutch publishers, it's a fear of the 21st century and the easy money the 20th century gave them by overpricing their books.

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

Uh...The price fixing in France are imposing the government's will on consumer choice and holding back innovation in France. Those mom and pop stores are remaining in business at the expense of corporations, but also at the expense of consumers who would have gone elsewhere if given the choice; French consumers are effectively being (indirectly) taxed to support this business model.

I think most book readers loves the idea of bookstores, but given the choice most here have gone with ebooks over physical books. No doubt the price fixing laws in France are there to protect what they see as French culture, but I would remind them that it is dying cultures that are the ones that see the need to strenuously protect themselves.

I'm not against a fixed bookprice. The fixed bookprice makes sure that all shops can sell books and bookshops won't be put out of business because some other shop also sells book for a bottom price because they're not dependent on those books.

But. If you have a fixed price, you should also be required to innovate. Especially publishers. And that's one thing they simply won't do.