Print Edition Photo by: Ariel Jerozolimski Books and Authors Law
goes into effect The bill lowering book prices attempts to break
the duopoly in the book market, made up of Steimatzky and Tzomet
Sfarim. A law meant to increase competition between publishers
and booksellers, and to ensure authors outside the top few are
better compensated, went into effect on Thursday, to mixed
reactions.  The bill attempts to break the duopoly in the retail
book market, made up of Steimatzky and Tzomet Sfarim, by not
allowing a store or publisher to encourage salespeople to
promote specific books, and by requiring stores to give equal
prominence to books from different publishers.  The legislation
also requires stores and publishers to reach agreements on what
kind of discounts can be put on books, and those discounts can
be only on books that are over 18 months old. That includes “buy
one, get one free” and similar sales, and an exception will be
made for Hebrew Book Week every summer.  During those 18 months,
Israeli author