ARE THE GIANTS CRUSHING THE LITTLE GUYS?
Edited by Douglas Harbrecht The consolidation of the book publishing business has some observers wringing their hands about powerful conglomerates. But there’s a force even more powerful than those global players: the retail giants that, to an increasing degree, control what books get sold at what prices in the U.S. That, at least, is the implication of a lawsuit filed on Mar. 18 by the American Booksellers Assn. against Barnes & Noble Inc. and Borders Group Inc. The ABA, which represents 3,500 independent retail booksellers, alleges that the two chains have forced publishers to give them secret, illegal discounts in violation of federal and state laws barring inequitable terms of sale. Filing in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, the ABA and 26 bookstore plaintiffs argue that the deals have put smaller stores in an impossible situation. “At the end of the longest day, the problems are insurmountable,” says ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz. The association says that the chains a
