With the Paris Olympics just days away, there's heartening news for the Seine River Booksellers. As reported in April 2023, these iconic kiosks faced mounting pressure to dismantle ahead of the Olympic Games' opening ceremony, set to unfold not in a stadium but along the river. Organizers envisioned a spectacle where athletes would parade down the Seine in various … [Read more...] about Parisian Booksellers Win Olympic Standoff
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France slaps Google with $270 million fine for misuse of news publishers’ data
Publishers have always found themselves at loggerheads with makers of generative AI data models over their use of often copyrighted material for training of the AI models. Now, in a fresh new twist, the competition authority in France, Autorité de la Concurrence has imposed a fine of €250 million on Google for misusing news publishers’ data without consent of the publishers, … [Read more...] about France slaps Google with $270 million fine for misuse of news publishers’ data
France’s Journalism Drives a Boom in Comics
One in four books sold in France is a comic book, according to the market research company GfK, and a growing number of those are nonfiction works by journalists and historians. Last year, they have included titles such as “M.B.S.: Saudi Arabia’s Enfant Terrible,” a biography of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by Antoine Vitkine and Christophe Girard; “What … [Read more...] about France’s Journalism Drives a Boom in Comics
New French law forces Amazon to pay minimum delivery fee to support independent bookstores
In an effort to protect independent bookstores and level the playing field with big tech companies, France has enacted a new law that imposes a minimum delivery fee on online book purchases. Starting October 7, Amazon and other online retailers will charge a minimum delivery fee of €3 for book orders, applying to all orders under €35. As EuroNews reported, the law, known as … [Read more...] about New French law forces Amazon to pay minimum delivery fee to support independent bookstores
Storytel launches service in France and forges partnership with major publishers
Storytel announced it has entered into a partnership with leading French publishers such as Hachette Livre, Madrigall, Editis and Actes Sud, the company revealed in a press release. This will allow Storytel to have a better presence in the audiobook segment besides tapping into the French-language audiobook market as well. As it is, Storytel happens to be one of the largest … [Read more...] about Storytel launches service in France and forges partnership with major publishers
France to impose €3 delivery fee on book orders from Amazon
France has initiated plans to impose a minimum delivery fee of 3 euros for orders placed for books on Amazon, Reuters reported. The fee will apply to only orders less than 35 euros. France already has a law that makes it illegal for retailers to deliver books for free. However, retailers like Amazon have so far evaded the law by charging one cent as a token delivery fee. The … [Read more...] about France to impose €3 delivery fee on book orders from Amazon
Carrefour is closing their ebook store and abandons e-readers
Carrefour is one of the largest supermarket chains in France and they have been involved in the e-reader space since 2013. The company has announced that it is closing their digital bookstore and suspending their relationship with Bookeen, who provided devices to them under the Nolim brand. This is going to result in over 2,400 people losing their jobs. The Bookeen Nolim is … [Read more...] about Carrefour is closing their ebook store and abandons e-readers
Vending Machines in France give you free short stories
Indie authors in Grenoble, a small city in France now have a viable way to distribute their short stories, vending machines. The stories are free and are printed on thin receipt paper, making them easy to discard or store. The stories are randomized and stem from a new startup named the Short Edition. There are a few thousand authors and over 150,000 registered users who … [Read more...] about Vending Machines in France give you free short stories
French Publishing Contracts Now Have a Separate Clause for e-Books
There has been a dramatic change to French Intellectual Property Code in regards to publishing contracts being offered to authors. Any new contract that publishers give to an author will now include a provision for digital distribution in e-Book form. The amended French Intellectual Property law clearly states that a publishing contract not only covers the “manufacture of … [Read more...] about French Publishing Contracts Now Have a Separate Clause for e-Books
Hachette Reports Good Sales in 2013
The France-based publishing company Lagardère revealed it has had a profitable year in 2013, reporting positive growth in sales in both the US and UK. The company’s revenue went up 1.9 percent in 2013, which is in spite of a slight hiccup that the company had to deal with in the final quarter of 2012 owning to a strong Euro. However, Lagardère revealed ebooks have grown to 10.4 … [Read more...] about Hachette Reports Good Sales in 2013