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Originally Posted by fjtorres
Yes.
But is that "solution" actually effective? Does the gouging of consumers to protect retailers actually protect *retailers* as the conspirator apologists claim?
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"Gouging" is a very emotive word, don't you think?
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You'd know better than me what the retail scene is in the UK but on this side of the pond, the case has been made (compellingly, to me) that the Price Fix conspiracy was a total backfire that froze the market of reading *devices*, foreclosing new entrants who are unable to compete with the pricing of the walled-garden devices, and effectively locking in Amazon and B&N's market share, with the primary beneficiary being Amazon. (B&N's market share is a respectable 25% or so but it didn't acually *grow* under Agency.)
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In the UK, since the abolition of the "Net Book Agreement" (price fixing) in 1997, independent booksellers have virtually disappeared from the UK. While the agreement was in force, every shopping street has its independent bookshop. Now, they've almost all gone, and we have one chain (Waterstones) which completely dominates the market. I think personally that we're culturally poorer as a result.