Amazon calls new French bill 'discriminatory against online consumers'

Amazon calls new French bill 'discriminatory against online consumers'London, Oct 4 : Amazon has reportedly called France's new bill that supports independent bookstores against competition from web-based retailers, as a discrimination against online consumers.

Under the new bill, companies like Amazon are restricted from offering combined 5 percent reductions and free deliveries.

According to the BBC, France's 3,000 independent bookshops had complained they can't compete with cut-price offers online.

While some question the legality of the bill to regulate the price of books under European competition law, others see it as a welcome extension of France's exception culturelle.

French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti has criticised Amazon's practices in the past, particularly free deliveries or its policy of 'tax optimisation', however, Amazon maintains that its arrangement is legal and under the European Union 's single market rules.

The company further said that the new bill would reduce French people's spending power

Filippetti had earlier said that Amazon slashes prices to get a foothold in markets only to raise them once they have established a virtual monopoly, the report added. (ANI)