Fair Trade Practices

13 Jul

Authors, ABA to DOJ: Investigate Amazon’s Abuse of Its Dominance in the Book Market

In an unprecedented joint action, U.S. booksellers, authors, and literary agents have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the business practices of Amazon.com. The action comes as similar efforts are underway in the European Union.

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01 Jul

Appeals Court Affirms Apple Violated Antitrust Laws

On Tuesday, June 30, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed by 2–1 a lower-court ruling that Apple did conspire to raise, fix, and stabilize the retail price for newly released and bestselling trade e-books in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and various state laws.

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18 Mar

FCC Releases Net Neutrality Rules, But Litigation and Investigation Likely

On March 12, the Federal Communications Commission released 400 pages of net neutrality rules, in which the commission reclassified broadband Internet service as a public utility, subject to Title II regulation.

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16 Oct

Franklin Foer: Troubling How Amazon Defenders Ignore Bookselling Monopoly

New Republic editor Franklin Foer struck a nerve. His article “Amazon Must Be Stopped” — in which he argued that Amazon’s monopolistic actions needed to be addressed by a robust regulatory state — garnered a tremendous, “fairly polarized” reaction from readers.

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10 Oct

New Republic Urges Government Action to Stop Amazon

In an October 9 cover story, the New Republic editor Franklin Foer likens Amazon to the monopolies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but says it’s a newer “species” of monopoly, one that needs to be addressed by a “robust regulatory state.”

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17 Jul

German Complaint Against Amazon Moves Forward, French “Anti-Amazon” Law Goes Into Effect

Last week, the EU Commission launched a preliminary investigation of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association’s antitrust complaint against Amazon, and France’s “Anti-Amazon” law went into effect.

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02 Jul

International Booksellers Strongly Support German Complaint Against Amazon

The European and International Booksellers Federation has announced its strong support for the decision by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels) to file an official complaint against Amazon with the German Federal Antitrust Authority.

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18 Dec

Controversial Swipe Fee Settlement Approved, Retailers Appeal

On Friday, December 13, a U.S. district court judge gave final approval to the $7.25 billion swipe fee settlement reached last year in a class-action lawsuit brought against Visa, MasterCard, and a group of card-issuing banks.

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03 Oct

BTW News Briefs

Bill to limit Amazon’s advantage moves forward in France; Reading Group Choices’ 2014 guide out now; National survey details reading habits; NRF predicts modest growth during holidays; Consumers use smartphones, tablets to shop; California Bookstore Day website live; NCAC in New York Times Sunday Dialogue; Thurber Prize goes to Dan Zevin; Penguin Random House merges audio; HarperCollins joins Scribd’s e-book subscription service; Chronicle Books goes green; BISG announces new mission statement, industry award winners, F+W Media partnership

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10 Jul

Court Rules Against Apple in E-Book Antitrust Case

On Wednesday, July 10, a federal judge ruled that Apple violated antitrust laws by conspiring with five publishers to raise and fix e-book prices. Apple has said it will appeal the judge’s decision.

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14 Mar

ABA Opposes Closed Generic Domains

ABA has submitted public comments to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to oppose the selling of closed generic TLDs, which would allow companies to secure exclusive rights to domains such as .read or .author.

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20 Feb

Bookstores to Receive Swipe Fee Notice of Settlement

ABA bookstore members should expect to receive a settlement notice soon as part of the proposed class-action settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit over rapidly rising Visa and MasterCard credit card swipe fees. ABA is currently working with a coalition of trade associations and companies to gather information as to the best course of action for members.

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08 Feb

Macmillan Settles DOJ E-Book Pricing Suit

On Friday, February 8, Macmillan became the final publisher to agree to a settlement of the e-book agency model pricing suit brought by the Department of Justice against Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and Apple in April 2012.

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06 Dec

Retailers to Appeal Preliminary Ruling in Proposed Interchange Settlement

On December 3, a majority of named class plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal to challenge a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York that grants preliminary approval to a proposed settlement of a long-standing antitrust class action filed by merchants against Visa, MasterCard, and the largest banks.

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About ABA

The American Booksellers Association, a national not-for-profit trade organization, works with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers, and to assist in expanding the community of the book.

Independent bookstores act as community anchors; they serve a unique role in promoting the open exchange of ideas, enriching the cultural life of communities, and creating economically vibrant neighborhoods.

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