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Revised rules allow discounts on new books

By Song Jingli (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-02 16:40
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A ban on book discounts of more than 15 percent has been abolished in the amended Regulation on Trade in Book Business, China News Service reported Thursday.

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The regulation, which was released on Jan 8, stated that books should not be sold at discounts in regular stores within the first year of publishing, and forbade online stores to offer more than 15 percent off the latest published books.

However, the regulation was resisted by retailers and consumers. The Beijing Consumers Association and some lawyers told the National Development and Reform Commission, China's economic planning agency, that the terms violated China's Antimonopoly Law.

The discount ban was deleted in the revised regulation on Sept 1, according to the report.