Earlier this month in the UK, several publishers formally raised concerns about Amazon’s deal to buy online bookseller The Book Depository, and asked their government’s Competition Commission to review the matter. I’m not sure whether any Irish publishers expressed similar concerns, but regardless Ireland’s own Competition Authority has just given Amazon an all clear to proceed.
From the agency’s announcement yesterday:
The Competition Authority has cleared the proposed transaction whereby Amazon.com, Incorporated would acquire sole control of The Book Depository (International) Limited. The transaction was notified by the parties under the Competition Act 2002 on 4 July 2011.
The Authority has formed the view that the acquisition will not lead to a substantial lessening of competition in any markets for goods or services in the State. The Authority will publish a public version of the reasons for its determination on its website (www.tca.ie) no later than 25 September 2011 after allowing the parties the opportunity to request that confidential information is removed from the published version.
The Bookseller says that Britain’s Competition Commission should finalize its review by the end of August.
