The German book price fixing scheme has been in place for more than 120 years. But the publishing world faces new challenges now that e-books and electronic reading devices have been thrown into the mix.
Germany likes to think of itself as 'the land of poets and thinkers'. Considering the nation has around 20,000 publishers, about 5,000 book-sellers and more than 90,000 new books hitting the market each year it may seem hard to disagree with that assessment.
However, the country's publishing industry has had a little extra help: Germany operates a fixed book price system that allows publishers to set the cost of new releases. The time-honored pricing scheme has been is even protected under European Union regulations.
Ruth Klinkenberg of Marga Schoeller bookstore in Berlin believes that fixed prices keep her business alive.
"For book stores like ours, it's imperative. Fixed prices take away the pressure of having to compete on price,” she said, adding: “I think if the fixed book price system went away, our bookstore and others like it, that, thank God still exist in Berlin, they would all very quickly disappear".
The Marga Schoeller bookstore in Berlin's western neighborhood of Savignyplatz is something of an institution in the German capital. For over three-quarters of a century, the book shop has been hosting authors and revolutionarie. It's also home to Ida, the cute shop dog.
