At DeutscheWelle Kate Müser reports that: 'Germany's creatives are concerned that TTIP will knock culture off its pedestal of protection', in Chlorine concerts and butter books? TTIP tests Germany's cultural values, with protests scheduled for today, World Day for Cultural Diversity.
TTIP (or T-TIP, as the Americans apparently prefer) is of course the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership that the EU and the US are (trying to) negotiate -- and the Germans are concerned that it might also mean an end to fixed book-prices in Germany (booksellers are not allowed to discount books there, making for a level bookselling-field):
TTIP (or T-TIP, as the Americans apparently prefer) is of course the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership that the EU and the US are (trying to) negotiate -- and the Germans are concerned that it might also mean an end to fixed book-prices in Germany (booksellers are not allowed to discount books there, making for a level bookselling-field):
Since it currently does not apply to foreign publishers, it is feared that the TTIP would eliminate the practice if giant online booksellers and publishers like Amazon and Google lobby strongly enough.Helpfully, Müser notes:
The problem is, no one really knows what will happen.