Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Canadian Booksellers Association fights Amazon.com

by: Mark Medley

The Canadian Booksellers Association is urging the Ministry of Canadian Heritage to reject Amazon.com's application to set-up shop in Canada, which was reported last week, saying that allowing the giant book retailer into Canada "would detrimentally affect the country’s independent businesses and cultural industries."

In a press release distributed on Monday, the association asks those opposed to Amazon.com's entry into the Canadian market to write or e-mail their local MP "to let them know how this would impact your business and your community."

“Individual Canadian booksellers have traditionally played a key role in ensuring the promotion of Canadian authors and Canadian culture," said CBA President Stephen Cribar in a statement. "These are values that no American dot.com retailer could ever purport to understand or promote.”

From the press release:
"CBA contends that allowing Amazon to operate a business within Canada would contravene the Investment Canada Act which requires that foreign investments in the book publishing and distribution sector be compatible with national cultural policies and be of net benefit to Canada and the Canadian-controlled sector.

CBA urges the Canadian government and the Department of Canadian Heritage to continue its support of our unique cultural perspective by placing reasonable limits on American domination of our book market and rejecting Amazon.com’s current application."

From: National Post

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