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Last year a French court ruled that Amazon was breaking a law which places a limit on discounted books. French retailers cannot offer a discount greater than 5% from the list price of books.

"As unbelievable as it appears, the free delivery of Amazon.fr is threatened. France would be the only country in the world where the free delivery practiced by Amazon would be declared illegal," said Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in an email message to customers, before urging them to sign an online petition.

Amazon will continue to pay the fines for 30 days, but after this period the French courts will reassess the fines.

At the current level it makes financial sense for Amazon to pay the fines, but if they are raised at the end of the 30 day period then it could mean more expense for French customers.