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Bonn (pte032/23.05.2003/14:30) - The German federal anti-trust authority has spoken out against the planned takeover of Ullstein Heyne publishers by Bertelsmann subsidiary Random House.

While it has not officially rejected the transaction, the German anti-trust office http://www.bundeskartellamt.de announced today that it could not approve the deal in its current form, issuing a warning to both the current owner, Axel Springer publishers, and Bertelsmann.

Bertelsmann would achieve a share of 40 per cent on the German general information and entertainment paperback market through the takeove, which the authorities feel would give the company a too dominant position on the market and pose a disadvantage to competitors.

Bertelsmann's competitor, Holtzbrinck, had originally complained about the consequences of the takeover.

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