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EU: Amazon gets warning from antitrust commissioner

By  |  June 15, 2015

Europe’s anti-trust chief warned Amazon on Monday against using its dominance to thwart rivals, a week after launching an investigation into the U.S. online retailer’s ebook deals with publishers.

European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager announced last week she would examine whether clauses in Amazon’s contracts prevent publishers from offering more favorable deals to competitors.

Ebooks are a fast-growing industry and Amazon, which popularized the product, is Europe’s biggest player. However, it should not abuse its market dominance, Vestager said.

“Amazon should not use its strong position to close the door behind it and prevent companies with new ideas from contesting the market,” she told a conference.

The company could be fined up to 10 percent of its global turnover if found guilty of breaching EU rules.

Full content: Bidness Etc.

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