In Canada, the Association of Canadian Publishers is opposing the Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster. The ACP, which represents approximately 115 small to medium-sized English-language Canadian publishers, published a letter last week calling on the Canadian government to scrutinize the proposed merger for antitrust issues.
“S&S and PRH, which operate in Canada as Simon & Schuster Canada and Penguin Random House Canada, already enjoy significant competitive advantage in the business,” said the letter. “A combined S&S/PRH would overshadow all other companies active in the Canadian market. This would be particularly challenging for the independent Canadian-owned sector, which competes with multinational publishers for authors, media coverage, retail shelf space, and staff. A combined S&S/PRH will make these challenges even more acute.”