German booksellers association claims Audible abusing market position

Germany’s booksellers association has lodged complaints against Amazon subsidiary Audible with the German competition authority and the European Commission, claiming the audiobook provider is abusing its dominance in the market, reports Reuters. Ninety percent of audiobooks purchased in Germany are supplied by Audible, said the association in a statement, going on to allege that Amazon and Audible are using this dominant market share to force publishers into accepting ‘unreasonable conditions’ for the marketing of audiobooks. ‘The business model of Amazon and Audible is aimed at destroying the excellent book trade structure in Germany. These companies are avowedly on the way to establish a monopoly,’ said association head Alexander Skipis. The European Comission said it would work closely with national competition authorities to assess the complaint. Amazon has not yet responded to a request for comment. As previously reported by Books+Publishing, the European Commission opened a formal investigation into Amazon’s ebook practices in June, focusing on whether Amazon’s contract clauses shielded the company from competition from other ebook distributors.

Category: International news