懾於反壟斷調查，亞馬遜取消Kindle電子書採購合同中的MFN條款

[導讀：據日本每日新聞網（Mainichi Japan）的消息，2017年8月15日，日本公平貿易委員會（JFTC）發布公告稱，亞馬遜服務國際公司（亞馬遜集團在日本經營電子書業務的子公司）取消了其合同中的「最惠國待遇」（MFN）定價條款。根據該條款的約定，電子書供應商在向亞馬遜服務國際公司供貨時，應保證在產品種類、範圍和價格上均給予不低於向其他平台供貨的條件。此次取消定價條款意味著，出版商通過在線零售巨頭亞馬遜的Kindle電子書商店進行銷售，將不再需要保持他們的價格等於或低於亞馬遜競爭對手的標價。此前，JFTC曾懷疑亞馬遜的上述「最惠國待遇」條款違反相關反壟斷法律規定，故對其展開調查。而亞馬遜隨即表示將重新審查相關政策，故該調查在今年6月以後被暫時擱置。（本文源自日本每日新聞官方網站。導讀系本公眾號原創，轉載請註明文字出自本公眾號。）]

Publishers selling through online retail giant Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle eBook store will no longer have to keep their prices equal to or lower than those for the same items sold through Amazon's rivals, following a change to e-book store contracts.

Amazon Services International, Inc. -- an Amazon affiliate that offers e-books in Japan --abolished the pricing clause in its seller contracts, according to anannouncement by the Japan Fair Trade Commission on Aug.15.

Before the clause was removed, Amazon Services International had also asked suppliers to take certain steps regarding product range, in addition to retail price. Specifically, the firm had asked vendors to stock either the same product range, or a wider one, than that offered by rival firms.

However, on Aug.4, it is understood that the Japan Fair Trade Commission received a report from Amazon Services International, stating that the latter had independently re-examined this particular clause.

The contractual clause in question is referred to as a "most favored nation (MFN)"treatment clause. The Japanese company Amazon Japan GK has also used the MFN clause -- in its business arrangements with firms that sell via the online retail site, "Amazon Marketplace." Amazon Japan was investigated over this clause by the Japan Fair Trade Commission on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act, but the investigation process was dropped in June,after the Japanese firm showed that it had re-examined its policy.

Speaking on the matter, aPR spokesperson for Amazon Japan said, "We will continue to strive toward improving our e-book reading experience."

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