"So the real question isn’t whether the law is going too far, but whether it will be enough to save the 2,500 independent bookstores in France"
IMO this law itself needs to be revised. This sounds like union law that we see in some companies. They are good in certain cases but not in this case. We're in internet world where technology is shaping our lives daily. Govt. is going opposite direction.
I see this equivalent to the RIAA trying to protect a dying business model with copyright law. This will do nothing but hold back progress.
If you can't compete on price, try something else. If this doesn't work..you might not be in the right business.