EU Launches Antitrust Probe Of Amazon’s E-Book Business

European regulators have launched a formal investigation into Amazon’s practices in the e-book market.

In a statement released Thursday, the European Commission announced that its antitrust investigation will focus on Amazon’s contracts with publishers — and whether the Internet retailer is abusing its dominant position as the largest e-book distributor in Europe.

The commission, the 28-member executive arm of the European Union, is especially concerned with a few key parts of those contracts.

In particular, NPR’s Lynn Neary reports, “The commission is concerned about specific clauses that require publishers to inform Amazon about more favorable or alternative terms offered by its competitors.”

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/11/413676630/eu-launches-antitrust-probe-of-amazons-e-book-business