While Amazon continues its own contract disputes with Hachette Book Group, now the Seattle company is dealing with another publisher-related problem across the pond.
German publishers submitted a formal antitrust complaint and have asked the Federal Cartel Office to investigate Amazon for violating Germany’s competition laws over its e-book negotiation practices.
For the past two months, Amazon has delayed shipments of books from Bonnier Media, a German publisher, over e-book revenue agreements. The Boersenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, a German association of booksellers, now wants authorities to probe Amazon’s tactics.
Meanwhile, Amazon already has its own problems with Hachette, the publishing house whose contract dispute with Amazon has led the online retailer to delay shipments of Hachette books. Some titles from Hachette authors aren’t available for pre-order on the site. Amazon says that its actions, despite all the media coverage, aren’t any different from what other retailers do when negotiating with their suppliers.
In Germany, where Amazon is also in a wage dispute with its workers, sentiments about the company have worsened somewhat, research firm YouGov BrandIndex found last week.
