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French Government vote to stop Amazon selling discounted books


Lehaut
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There is another aspect with regard to e-books. Some recent research has shown that some children and young people are more willing to read via an e-book than a paper version, Some schools in the UK are considering e-book use in the classroom for this reason.

I teach English and I find my dyslexic students read better on an e-book because they can adjust the font size. There is also a dictionary link they can use easily.
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[quote user="woolybanana"]The new French law says that a book cannot have free postage and the 5% (maximum) discount allowed under the law. It has to be one or the other. It remains to be seen what will happen if said books are dispatched from, say, Luxembourg.[/quote]

I'm sure Amazon will make suitable purchase suggestions when a book order is placed in order to avoid having to pay for delivery.

"Buy a pencil with this book and get free delivery!" [:D]

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Yes, Clair, you are right, I reckon. UK Amazon now encourages the purchase of non free post items with post free ones in order not to have to pay.

If this happens in France, watch Madame Fillipetti (Mistress of Culture in the current French government) throw a petulent petit petard!
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I am almost persuaded to have a kindle!  And I never thought I'd say that.  It's interesting what lehaut has said about reading e-publications and dyslexia.  Could be cheaper than new specs, LOL!

But Clair is right about Canute and the sea.  Some things such as this one under discussion are, by their nature, unstoppable; is "incontournable" the right word, svp, Clair?[:)]

 

 

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Like many, I am a great lover of books - the paper kind, but getting a Kindle was a revelation for me. No longer having to find room for dozens of books when going on holiday, I can now carry an extensive library easily!

 

If you sign up to it, Amazon will email you each day with the Kindle Daily Deal - usually three books for 99p, one of which is non-fiction - a quick and easy way to increase your library for only a few pennies.....[:)]

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[quote user="sweet 17"]I am almost persuaded to have a kindle!  And I never thought I'd say that.  It's interesting what lehaut has said about reading e-publications and dyslexia.  Could be cheaper than new specs, LOL!

But Clair is right about Canute and the sea.  Some things such as this one under discussion are, by their nature, unstoppable; is "incontournable" the right word, svp, Clair?[:)][/quote]

Sweet, a quick clarification, as you say you may be considering purchasing a Kindle...

In an earlier post, KathyF mentions "I'm still not tempted to pay [...] for the hire of a downloaded copy of a new book [...]"

I just want to clarify that when you download a digital copy, it is not on loan.

It is a purchase, albeit technically restricted as to its use (by DRM = Digital Rights Management) - i.e. an iBook can only be read it on your Apple device; an Amazon Kindle book can only be read via a Kindle app on your PC or on a Kindle device, etc...

Having said that, there are ways and means around this technical restriction, to allow the buyer to read the digital purchase without the need for a specific electronic device.

And yes, incontournable is the correct word [:)]

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I am willing to bet that I have been reading books and texts online at least as long as any other poster, but I see no need to spend money on a gimmick such as a 'Kindle' which does nothing I haven't been able to do for years on my PC or netbook (if I were to do such a bizarre thing as want to look at a screen in bed or at the beach etc)  or if absolutely necessary just to consult facts on my portable phone..

They are just a way of building a captive market for Amazon.

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Norman, in actual fact, I do a lot of reading in bed at night and my Kindle is just perfect for me to read without the need for a light disturbing Mr Clair.

I find the the iPad screen much too bright.

I agree with your remark about captive markets, whether by Apple, Barnes & Noble or Amazon and that's why I use Calibre to format my digital books to suit my needs.

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I struggle to understand why reading on the beach or in bed is in any way bizarre. I struggle even more to imagine why I'd want to lug a hunk of metal weighing a couple of kilos around if I wanted to read a book, when I can read either a paper or an electronic one in far greater comfort.

Mind you, I "read" a lot of audio books, which I can do on a device no bigger than a mobile phone. I can "read" in this format with closed eyes, whilst walking or doing the housework. But I guess multi-tasking is something you either like or dislike.

I do find that, when packing for a holiday, knowing I can take a dozen or more books on a device the size of a Kindle is excellent. Those of us who put ourselves at the mercy of Mr O'Leary and his draconian baggage allowance need all the help we can get.

Oh, and I haven't paid for a book in a couple of years.

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[quote user="Clair"]

Sweet, a quick clarification, as you say you may be considering purchasing a Kindle...

In an earlier post, KathyF mentions "I'm still not tempted to pay [...] for the hire of a downloaded copy of a new book [...]"

I just want to clarify that when you download a digital copy, it is not on loan.

It is a purchase, albeit technically restricted as to its use (by DRM = Digital Rights Management) - i.e. an iBook can only be read it on your Apple device; an Amazon Kindle book can only be read via a Kindle app on your PC or on a Kindle device, etc...

Having said that, there are ways and means around this technical restriction, to allow the buyer to read the digital purchase without the need for a specific electronic device.

And yes, incontournable is the correct word [:)][/quote]

 

Oh, Clair, how good you are to take the trouble to explain all that to me!  Clearly, you understand better than most that I wouldn't have a clue as to the different devices being capable of downloading books from different suppliers...duh!

Now I am vexée that I might not have the nous (English nous) to get to grips with an electronic device.

Guess what, I actually commited to learning to use a French ordi and paid someone for one on leboncoin.  I have been dreading having to read all the instructions in French and to use an AZERTY keyboard.  However, after a week or so and no ordi has appeared chez nous, I contacted the seller and he tells me that he has a problem, can't send it to me and says that he has remboursé me today.

I wait and see but my trust in my fellow human beings is limitless and I actually believe that he will give me back my money [:D]

Edit:  sorry, made a mess with the quotation marks and Clair, I am sure you will know that not all of the post is quoted from you directly.  Corrections are now so difficult to make on the Forum (for one with my limited lack of ability) that I can't be faffing about with it so please excuse me.

(all sorted now [:)] - Clair)

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Being one of those people who engage in Bizzare Bedroom practises (!) the area where the Kindle wins hands down over all the other devices I read on (PC, laptop, tablet, phone) is the autonomy. Its the Duracell Bunny when it comes to the lenght of time you have available to read, apart from the other visibility advantages.
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[quote user="Lehaut"]Being one of those people who engage in Bizarre Bedroom practises (!) the area where the Kindle wins hands down over all the other devices I read on (PC, laptop, tablet, phone) is the autonomy. Its the Duracell Bunny when it comes to the length of time you have available to read, apart from the other visibility advantages.[/quote]

That is very true.  :-)

For me, it's just the perfect electronic library! When used with Calibre, it's just a doddle...

I spent some time sorting every one of its 587 books (as of this morning!) into a specific collection, so I can just jump into a book to fit my mood!

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I recall when Amazon opened a new French warehouse, the Hollande govt was full of positive noises abt investing in France. Frankly France seems to have few bookshops outside Paris and some big cities, yes FNAC but in most areas people seem to purchase novels from the local supermarket. I remember visiting Nice and struggling to find a single decent bookshop. The best seemed to be one run by expats selling recycled books.Amazon have announced that the new rules will have little impact as French do not purchase many books online. More worrying is a French suggsetion that a new tax be imposed on these large online suppliers and wait for it they want the taxes to be shared amongst the EU. So countries that spent on online sales will be giving away tax revenue to those that do not.
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France seems to have few bookshops outside Paris

That rather depends on where you live, though I admit that they are under threat.

The first of these has just defied the trend in daring to open

http://librairie-des-sources.over-blog.com/

The second is an institution

http://www.librairieclareton.com/

The third is a fine shop in a small town of less than 4000 people

http://www.mirepoixenavant.com/librairie-des-couverts/

then there are festivals of books such as

http://www.sortieouest.fr/saison/spectacle/manisfestation-litteraire/les-chapiteaux-du-livre-3.html

Then of course there are the vigorous Médiathèques with varied and interesting programmes who offer a mix of the printed word with access to newer Media

http://www.mediatheque-beziers-agglo.org/exploitation/

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I did not just say Paris. Sure France a country of 65 million does have

bookshops and book fairs no need to list them. But bookshops are in

decline everywhere. As Kindle and tablets become more sophistcated and 

books are instantly accessible that trend will continue. What I

particularly like abt tablets is that you can read books by amateur

writers. I bought a fantastic guide book to Buenos Aires which is only

published as a e book. It knocks the socks of most of the published

guides like Rough guide or lonely planet. and it cost 2 pounds. These

tablets offer exciting reading opportunities.Fance also publishes far

fewer books then the UK, no surprise as French usage is in decline

globally compared to English.. But  they  also publish far fewer books

then Germany, Spain, Iran Pakistan, Russia or Turkey.  E books have been

slow to catch on in France only some 3% of the population use them

compared to say double that in Germany. But this is changing. Most

people will continue to buy books in supermarkets or stores like FNAC

despite  all the efforts of the state. Specialist bookshops maay survive

ie medical books or political bookshops.  However this legislation

will  have no impact on mainstream booksales it will not stop the

inevitable.

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In my very cynical opnion, France will possibly take to the e-book once a French company markets a French-made e-book reader, and some sort of protectionist law can be cobbled together preventing (or taxing) the reading or circulation of e-books by means that aren't conforme aux normes....and, of course, only the French-manufactured version will be conforme...

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It's worth mentioning that Amazon has a 5-day return policy on digital books.

Any Kindle book purchase can be returned for a refund within 5 days of purchase and I frequently make use of that policy.

Refunds are made within 3-5 days of the Kindle book being removed from the Kindle library.

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