Canada: Kobo progresses in eBooks antitrust settlement fight

EBook retailer Kobo Inc. has progressed in its fight against the Competition Bureau’s settlement reached with major eBooks publishers, reports say.

Kobo has obtained a stay in that settlement between Canada’s Competition Bureau and four major publishers – HarperCollis, Macmillan, Hachette Book Group and Simon & Schuster – arguing that a similar settlement reached between the publishers and US antitrust authorities caused Kobo to close an office.

Fellow seller Indigo Books & Music has similarly challenged the settlement.

The companies argue that the deal will allow Amazon a near monopoly over eBooks sales in Canada. The Competition Bureau first launched its case against the publishers regarding how eBooks are discounted through various retailers.

The fight against the settlement is far from over, however; Kobo will now have to prove that the terms of the settlement “could not be the subject of an order of the Tribunal,” according to reports.

Full Content: Mondaq

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