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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| France approves 'anti-Amazon' bill | France approves 'anti-Amazon' bill |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| France has approved a bill to support independent bookstores against competition from online retailers. | France has approved a bill to support independent bookstores against competition from online retailers. |
| The new laws will restrict companies like Amazon from combining offers of five percent discounts with free deliveries. | The new laws will restrict companies like Amazon from combining offers of five percent discounts with free deliveries. |
| France's 3,000 independent bookshops have complained that they can't compete with the cut-price offers online. | France's 3,000 independent bookshops have complained that they can't compete with the cut-price offers online. |
| The opposition right-wing party UMP proposed the bill, but it also has the support of the left. | The opposition right-wing party UMP proposed the bill, but it also has the support of the left. |
| It has been approved by the lower house and will now be sent to the Senate. | It has been approved by the lower house and will now be sent to the Senate. |
| The BBC's Paris correspondent Christian Fraser said the bill "might be seen as payback" for Amazon's practices of reporting European sales through a Luxembourg holding company, to take advantage of comparatively low corporate tax rates. | The BBC's Paris correspondent Christian Fraser said the bill "might be seen as payback" for Amazon's practices of reporting European sales through a Luxembourg holding company, to take advantage of comparatively low corporate tax rates. |
| French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti has criticised Amazon's practices in the past, particularly free deliveries or its policy of "tax optimisation." | French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti has criticised Amazon's practices in the past, particularly free deliveries or its policy of "tax optimisation." |
| Amazon insists the arrangement is legal under the European Union's single market rules. | Amazon insists the arrangement is legal under the European Union's single market rules. |
| In June, Ms Filippetti said: "Today, everyone has had enough of Amazon, which, by dumping, slashes prices to get a foothold in markets only to raise them once they have established a virtual monopoly." | In June, Ms Filippetti said: "Today, everyone has had enough of Amazon, which, by dumping, slashes prices to get a foothold in markets only to raise them once they have established a virtual monopoly." |
| Britain has a third of the number of France's independent bookshops. | |
| France is known for being proud of its local stores, considering them essential to bring culture to small villages. |