Frederic Mitterrand

We’ve written before about how some European countries benefit from what’s generally known as a “net pricing” deal — that is, a rule that prohibits significant discounting of book prices, so that retailers share a level playing field. In France and Germany, for example, net pricing has resulted in little stores having a higher survival rate, making for a greater variety of bookstores, which in turn supports a greater variety of publishers and writers, which in turn makes for a healthier book culture.

Now, a report (in French) by Nicolas Gary on the French website Actualitte.com notes that the French government is considering similar net pricing rules on ebooks sold in the country. But Gary also reports that the French minister of culture, Frederic Mitterrand, is trying to impose the net pricing rule on booksellers from outside the country who are trying to sell ebooks in France: Amazon, Google, and Apple.

What’s next — making them collect sales tax? Bon chance, mes amis.