https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤬" title="Gesicht mit Symbolen über dem Mund" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Symbolen über dem Mund"> @JusticeATR must do what they did last year with Quad Graphics and LSC and #BlockThisMerger.

Book publishers are looking to consolidate power (which directly threatens readers /authors/booksellers) more and more.

One likely, very large, reason why: Amazon. https://twitter.com/xanalter/status/1331602309458120704">https://twitter.com/xanalter/...

THREAD: [T1] Bertelsmann, the corporation buying @simonschuster, already controls 8.1% of the book publishing market.

Simon & Schuster has 2.9%.

If this sale happens, Bertelsmann will have 11%, with the next largest market share clocking in at just 2.5% with @HarperCollins.

[T2] Meanwhile, @amazon has been consolidating distribution control over the e-book market at warp speed (it has 67% of online book sales).

This shouldn& #39;t be disregarded or ignored!

[T3]At the same time, the book publishing industry has experienced a wave of consolidation over the last 10 years:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🗞️" title="Eingerollte Zeitung" aria-label="Emoji: Eingerollte Zeitung">2012, Random House and Penguin merged
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🗞️" title="Eingerollte Zeitung" aria-label="Emoji: Eingerollte Zeitung">2014, News Corporation acquired Harlequin Enterprises
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🗞️" title="Eingerollte Zeitung" aria-label="Emoji: Eingerollte Zeitung">2016, Hachette acquired Perseus Books

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/books/simon-schuster-penguin-random-house.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/2...

[T4]This trend toward consolidation in the book publishing industry is likely related to publishers looking to gain bargaining power against @amazon.

[T5]The fact that the book publishing industry is actually trending toward consolidation is *important.*

Controlling #SCOTUS precedent means @JusticeATR has deference, or decision making power, to block mergers of this kind.

Will they use it? https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/370/294/">https://supreme.justia.com/cases/fed...

[T6]The agency failed to stop Amazon in the 2014 U.S. v. Apple case. Now they can fix that mistake and protect America’s authors, editors, readers & publishers.

@JusticeATR must take steps to block this merger and break Amazon& #39;s power over the sale and distribution of books.

[END THREAD] Read our full statement here: https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications/doj-must-stop-bertelsmanns-plan-to-buy-simon-schuster">https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publicati...