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· Stephen Fry, with no paper, ink, binding, or covers? You pay twice for that.

By RUPERT NEATE [The Telegraph] – The European Commission said its agents had “reason to believe” that several unnamed companies across Europe “may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and other restrictive business practices”.

The raids comes after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) last month launched a similar probe into the prices of ebooks, which can cost more than twice as much as their printed cousins.

The OFT’s investigation focuses on publishers’ ability to set ebook prices using “agency” pricing.

For example, publishers can charge whatever they like for ebooks sold through Apple’s iBook store, with Apple taking a 30pc cut. In contrast printed books are sold in bulk to retailers, who then choose the retail price independently, ensuring competition.

The discrepancy has led to some electronic books costing far more than a hardback version of the same book. An Amazon Kindle electronic copy of Stephen Fry’s The Fry Chronicles costs £12.99, compared to £10 for a hardback and £6.74 for a paperback.

Continued at The Telegraph | More Chronicle & Notices.

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