Quebec Considers Fixing Prices on New books to Protect Small Booksellers

Should consumers pay more to keep Quebec's independent booksellers in business That's the issue before a National Assembly committee studying a proposal to prevent bookstores from selling new books at a discount. Under the scheme, booksellers, whether big-box retailers or hole-in-the-wall independent bookstores, would all have to sell new books for a predetermined price during the first nine months after their release. Retailers that want to put certain titles on sale would be allowed to knock no more than 10 per cent off the price.