Advocacy

Revised Swipe Fee Deal Submitted for Preliminary Approval

On Friday, October 19, the nine remaining class plaintiffs submitted a revised proposed $7.25 billion settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit over skyrocketing Visa and MasterCard credit card swipe fees to the court for preliminary approval.

Holiday Children’s Art Auction Kicks Off November 27

ABFFE will launch an online auction of original children’s art on November 27.  The week-long eBay auction will feature work from leading artists and book illustrators.

Majority of Plaintiffs Oppose Swipe Fee Settlement

Late last week, 10 of the 19 named class plaintiffs representing the class of all merchants announced their opposition to the proposed $7.25 billion settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit over skyrocketing Visa and MasterCard credit card swipe fees.

Banned Books Week 2.0

ABFFE President Chris Finan reflects on the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week earlier this month, an event that was definitely  “not your grandmother’s celebration of the freedom to read.”

Massachusetts Mayors Urge Governor to Require Amazon to Collect Sales Tax

A coalition of eight Massachusetts mayors have written to Gov. Deval Patrick to urge him to require that Amazon.com collect and remit sales tax for purchases made by Massachusetts residents prior to the holiday shopping season.

Bill Moyers Calls Out Book Censors

Award-winning broadcast journalist Bill Moyers discusses book banning and the harms of censorship in a new video essay commemorating the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week (September 30 – October 6).

Op-Ed: Banned Books Week Helps Fight for Free Speech

This op-ed column by Chris Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, and Joan Bertin, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, appeared in the September 23 edition of Louisville, Kentucky’s The Courier-Journal.

Editorials Nationwide Call for Sales Tax Fairness

As the U.S. Congress headed back to work in September following its August recess, sales tax fairness once again became a hot topic. Along with myriad reports that Amazon.com finally began collecting sales tax for online sales in Pennsylvania and California, a number of newspapers nationwide published op-eds and editorials calling on Congress to pass sales tax fairness legislation. Here’s a look at a few editorials of note.

Bill and Judith Moyers Honorary Chairs of Banned Books Week

Award-winning broadcast journalist Bill Moyers and Judith Davidson Moyers, president of Public Affairs Television, have been named honorary co-chairs of Banned Books Week (September 30 – October 6).

Amazon to Begin Collecting California Sales Tax September 15

Beginning this Saturday, California consumers who shop at Amazon.com will notice a big change when they go to the checkout page to pay for their orders: the online retailer will be collecting sales tax on their orders.

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