An internet book shop that has started selling new e-books has complained to the Dutch competition authorities it is being boycotted by three of the largest Dutch publishers, website Politico.eu reports.

Tom Kabinet, which started out selling second-hand e-books and has been taken to court for doing so, says publishers VBK, Meulenhoff/Lannoo and WPG have blocked it from selling their e-books through its website.

The competition authorities have confirmed receiving the complaint but neither they nor the publishers concerned would comment, Politico.eu says.

In January, the courts ruled Tom Kabinet could continue to sell second-hand e-books if it could prove they had been legally purchased in the first place.

The site was able to get the courts to lift a court order banning it from selling second-hand e-books by proving it had taken sufficient steps to prevent the trade in illegal e-book.

In February, the company also signed up to the Central Boekhuis, the national book distribution centre, so it could move into selling new e-books as well. ‘If we start selling new e-books, the transaction is in our database so we know it is legitimate,’  co-founder Marc Jellema said.

However, two days later, the company noticed it was being boycotted by the three big publishers and has now complained to the ACM.