France Toughens Book Pricing Rules For Amazon, Online Shops

France military eyes 2014 cuts, far-right seeks to benefit

(AMZN) with a new law aimed at supporting bookstores and volumes that arent immediate bestsellers. Frances national assembly today unanimously approved a proposed law that blocks online stores from offering free shipping on top of a 5 percent maximum discount on books. When delivery costs are waived, they should be accounted for within the rebate limit, according to the text. Free shipping, lets say it, is a dumping strategy, Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti said during the parliamentary debate. This law, far from preventing competition or blocking technological evolution, makes sure competition is fair between players in a fragile ecosystem. Amazon has a 70 percent share of the online book market in France, said Christian Kert, one of the bills authors. Retailer Groupe Fnac (FNAC) runs its own Internet bookstore. The amendment on shipping, which will next be voted on by the senate, builds on a 1981 law singling books out as a cultural exception, deserving a distinct set of pricing rules. In France, a books price is fixed by the editor and has to be the same regardless of the distribution channel, while discounts should follow strict rules, the law says. Any measure raising the price of books on the Internet will hurt the purchasing power of French people first and foremost, and discriminate against those who make purchases online, Sophie Touchot at Havas SA, which represents Amazon in France, said in an e-mailed statement. To contact the reporter on this story: Marie Mawad in Paris at mmawad1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Vidya Root at vroot@bloomberg.net

Britain and Ireland tied 9-9 with Continental Europe at Seve Trophy in France

Paul Casey and David Lynn beat Miguel Angel Jimenez and Matteo Manassero by a hole to even the contest. Lynn converted a birdie putt from 10 feet on the last hole. The weeks best news photos Heres a quick way to catch up on the weeks news, through some of our favorite photos. Its been so close all week. It could have gone either way, Casey said. It seems like we have been getting off to bad starts all week, and this session, looked like we were getting off to a good start and things went a bit pear shaped in the middle. The tournament ends on Sunday with 10 singles. Each team needs 5 1/2 more points for victory. Continental Europe lost the last six meetings and is trying to win the trophy for the first time since the inaugural contest in 2000. I want to win it badly, its as simple as that, Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal said. I dont like that record at all and hopefully this group of 10 people will be able to achieve that tomorrow. After two days of fourballs, Continental Europe was leading 5 1/2-4 1/2. On Saturday morning, Nicolas Colsaerts and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano halved their match with Stephen Gallacher and Paul Lawrie. The Scottish duo was three down after eight holes, but birdied Nos.

Credit: Reuters/Christian Hartmann By John Irish and Emmanuel Jarry PARIS | Thu Oct 3, 2013 8:21am EDT PARIS (Reuters) – France’s military will cut about 7,500 jobs next year, a defense ministry source said on Thursday, detailing government belt-tightening plans that the far-right hopes will deliver it votes at municipal elections in 2014. The cuts come as tensions rise within Socialist President Francois Hollande’s 17-month-old coalition, whose poll ratings have fallen to 23 percent due to dissatisfaction about the economy and jobs. The defense ministry said in April that 34,000 jobs would likely be cut over the coming six years, but its overall budget would remain largely static, steering clear of drastic spending cuts after military officials and lawmakers said that would reduce France’s ability to counter global security threats. “Given the six year objectives, (the cut) should be around 7,000 to 7,500 military and civilian personnel in 2014,” the source said on condition of anonymity, ahead of a news conference by Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. A handful of bases will be closed or restructured, including an 800-man regiment in the town of Orange in the Vaucluse department, where support for the anti-immigrant, anti-European Union National Front is strong, the source said. Marion Marechal-Le Pen, a National Front member of parliament for Vaucluse, said the cuts would hurt France’s defenses and local economies in areas like hers. “I can only worry about the immediate economic impact in a region that has already been heavily hit by unemployment and economic difficulties,” she said, reacting to media reports about the cuts. “The governments of the right and the left have preferred to sell off our military know-how and lose our diplomatic independence by making small short-term savings. That will cost France’s sovereignty dearly in the coming years,” she said. France’s military employs some 228,000 personnel today. A further 165,000 individuals are employed by the defence industry, not including sub-contractors. The government plans 15 billion euros ($20 billion) in savings next year and 3 billion extra revenues from higher taxes and fighting tax evasion to reduce the budget deficit.