A Statement From the American Booksellers Association on Amazon’s Early Release of “The Testaments”

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The Testaments by Margaret AtwoodIn regard to the information about consumers receiving pre-ordered copies of Margaret Atwood’s novel The Testaments from Amazon several days in advance of the official on-sale date of September 10, 2019, the American Booksellers Association has been in communication with the novel’s publisher, Penguin Random House, to express our strong disappointment regarding this flagrant violation of the agreed protocol in releasing this book to the public.

In addition, in recent weeks ABA has communicated with appropriate officials at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission about the negative impact of Amazon’s market dominance in the book industry and U.S. retail overall. Amazon’s latest actions only further underscore how important it is that the appropriate federal agencies thoroughly investigate Amazon’s destructive business practices.