A delegation from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America paid a visit to the Federal Trade Commission on the afternoon of January 22, 1999, to express and detail their concerns about Barnes and Noble's planned acquisition of Ingram, the nation's biggest independent book distributor.

SFWA President Paul Levinson, VP Ann Crispin, and past presidents Michael Capobianco and Charles Sheffield met for nearly 90 minutes with three lawyers from the FTC's Bureau of Competition, and one assistant.

Among the points emphasized by the SFWA delegation:

• Books, by virtue of the ideas they convey and the thoughts they stimulate, constitute a commodity very different from shoes, bottles of water, and most others in the economic market. Accordingly, the FTC needs to give any possible threat to the economic well-being of bookstores very special and extensive consideration.
• Our democratic society is best served by a diversity of ideas, especially those that may be on the cutting edges, out of the mainstream. Independent bookstores which are now serviced by Ingram, and whose existence may be jeopardized if Ingram is owned by its arch competitor (Barnes and Noble), are among the prime conduits of those cutting-edge ideas.
• Science fiction in particular, with its orientation towards the future and its social commentary, is a form of writing very rich in cutting-edge ideas. Genetic engineering, space travel, artificial intelligence -- these and many other developments that increasingly play a role in our existence were first explored and brought to the public's attention in science fiction.
• Although the average Barnes and Noble retail store carries many more titles than the average independent bookshop, the aggregate of independent bookshops -- each of which may have a different specialty -- far exceeds the diversity of Barnes and Noble stores, each of which carries a similar stock.

SFWA had previously sent a letter to the FTC, expressing these and similar concerns, signed by its Board of Directors, and 14 past presidents. The SFWA delegation at the January 22 meeting will be asked to sign an affidavit summarizing the discussions at the meeting, which will become part of the FTC record on this matter.

Paul Levinson
SFWA President
72517.3107@compuserve.com