Quebec seeks to pass law to limit initial discount on new books to 10 per cent

MONTREAL – The Quebec government plans to table legislation in the new year to limit the discounts on new books to 10 per cent for the first nine months after publication.

Culture Minister Maka Kotto says the measure is intended to protect Quebec’s identity and culture.

The bill, if passed, would affect not only paper copies but also those sold online, shipped to the province or read on a tablet.

The legislation would be in effect for three years, at which point it would be evaluated to see if it should be extended.

Kotto said the law would help the province’s small bookstores, which often face stiff competition from major chains able to negotiate big discounts from publishers.

Sellers could raise the discount on new books after nine months.