A New French Law Forbids Free Shipping For Books, So Amazon Is Charging People Just A Penny

Getty / Scott Olson Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos

After a new French law went into effect forbidding booksellers from discounting their titles or offering free shipping, Amazon has started charging a penny for delivery.

The new law - often referred to as the "anti-Amazon" law - aims to protect local bookstores and has stopped the large U.S. retailer from offering a 5% discount on its selection of titles, The Wall Street Journal reports. A penny is the smallest amount Amazon is allowed to charge for shipping.

France has been regulating book prices since 1981, when it started preventing book sellers from offering a discount of more than 5% off the cover price on any title.

Amazon doesn't have the best rep in Europe right now: A beloved British children's book author just turned down a lifetime achievement award after he found out Amazon sponsored it.

(Hat-tip to Engadget where we saw this story.)

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.