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BTW News Briefs

National Book Foundation to honor E.L. Doctorow, Maya Angelou; Judy Blume to receive NAIBA’s Legacy and Carla Cohen Free Speech awards; Hugo Award winners announced; Amazon begins collecting sales tax in Georgia and Virginia

“Banned Books Week in a Box” Promotion Is a Hit

Though “Banned Books Week in a Box” promotional kits are all gone, booksellers can still take advantage of Ingram’s additional discount on a list of 200 banned or challenged books. ABFFE is also offering a promotional kit, including bookmarks, buttons, bumper stickers, and more, for $25 plus free shipping.

ABA Responds to Amazon Supreme Court Filing

ABA CEO Oren Teicher has written an open letter to Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos that highlights the discrepancy between the company’s professed support for e-fairness and its ongoing business practices.

Amazon, Overstock Ask Supreme Court to Take Up Issue of New York Sales Tax Law

After challenging New York State’s sales tax fairness law three times — and losing three times — at the state level, Amazon.com and Overstock.com have taken the fight to the nation’s highest court.

Amazon Seeks Tax Abatements in Connecticut

While Amazon.com has agreed with the state of Connecticut to begin collecting and remitting sales tax in the state as of November 1, 2013, the online retailer is now seeking multi-year property tax abatements and other exemptions from Windsor, Connecticut, in exchange for opening a distribution center in the town.

Trade Associations Urge House to Hold Sales Tax Fairness Hearing

This week, a coalition of 18 independent trade associations, led by ABA, urged the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary to hold a hearing on sales tax fairness.

Federal Reserve Appeals Ruling Over Swipe Fee Caps

Last week, the Federal Reserve appealed the July ruling by a U.S. district court  that found the cap set by the Fed on debit card swipe fees was too high and did not follow Congress’ intent when it implemented swipe fee reforms required by the Durbin Amendment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Amazon Drops Missouri Affiliates

Amazon has fired all its online affiliates in Missouri to avoid the requirement to collect and remit sales tax to the state. Missouri passed an affiliate nexus law in July.

White House Launches Website on Health Care Reform for Businesses

Earlier this month, the White House announced the launch of a “one-stop-shop” that provides employers with access to information on the Affordable Care Act.

New York Times Features Dialogue on Bookstores in the Digital Era

Last weekend, the Opinion Pages of the New York Times’ Sunday Review featured “Tumult in the Book World,” a dialogue in letters, including one from ABA President Steve Bercu, that were solicited by the paper to answer the question “Can traditional bookstores survive the digital marketplace?”

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