Ongoing Rift Between Amazon and the Book Middleman Persists
In a recent development concerning the influential e-commerce giant Amazon, the French Books Mediator, Jean-Philippe Mochon, has announced a new interpretation of the Darcos law, effective since October 7, 2023. Implemented to uphold the financial stability of independent bookstores, the Darcos law mandates a minimum delivery charge of €3 for books ordered below €35, with deliveries qualifying for free delivery above this threshold.
Since November 5, 2024, Amazon has been offering free book deliveries to automated lockers located in shopping malls, cashier counters, supermarkets, and hypermarkets, bypassing the Darcos law's minimum charge requirement. According to Mochon, these automated lockers account for a third of the 2,500 free pick-up points provided by the American company in France.
In an earlier assessment, Mochon considered that free delivery seemed to adhere to the Darcos law when pick-ups were made at the cashier or customer service desk of stores selling books, representing two-thirds of the pick-up points used by Amazon. However, he now deems free pick-ups in automated lockers as non-compliant with the law.
This latest opinion by Mochon elucidates that Amazon's practice of free delivery to lockers, while seemingly circumventing the mandated delivery fees meant to safeguard the local book market and independent bookstores, violates the Darcos law. The Darcos law, enacted in 2021 and named after Senator Laure Darcos, seeks to ensure fair competition in the book market by establishing a minimum fee for book deliveries in France.
As such, Amazon must comply with the Darcos law, charging the minimum delivery fee of €3 for books valued below €35 when using automated lockers for pick-ups. This enforcement of the law aims to preserve and promote the competitive environment for small bookstores and aligns with the law's protective intent.
- The Darcos law, a policy-and-legislation established to ensure fair competition in France's book market, will require Amazon to charge a minimum delivery fee of €3 for books valued below €35 when using automated lockers for pick-ups, as ruled by the French Books Mediator, Jean-Philippe Mochon.
- The technology-driven automated lockers, installed in shopping malls, cashier counters, supermarkets, and hypermarkets by Amazon, must now comply with the financial regulations stipulated by the Darcos law, despite their previous ability to offer free book deliveries.
- Despite the significant influence of Amazon in the business and technology sectors, the financial stability of independent bookstores, as protected by the Darcos law, remains uncompromised, following the revised interpretation of the law by the French Books Mediator, Jean-Philippe Mochon.
- The recent adjustment in the Darcos law's interpretation, concerning Amazon's free book delivery policy, highlights the intersection of business, politics, and policy-and-legislation, demonstrating the government's commitment to maintaining a level playing field in the general-news sector.
