With the Competition Commission deadline approaching every closer, further word is trickling in on who's saying what. For example, the Forum for Private Business lobby group conducted a survey of 1,000 independent booksellers, finding that just 10% of respondents said that they expected to be positively affected by the merger, with the remaining 40% indicating that the merger would have no affect on their business.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Writing and Publishing Cross-Party Group will meet with the CC to discuss how the HMV/Ottakar's merger will affect Scottish bookshops after an early refusal. Scottish Green Party MSP Chris Ballance said: "There are particular Scottish issues to this, including the large market share that the merged company would have here." Ottakar's has 16 branches in Scotland, and Waterstone's has 12.

The meeting will take place at the Scottish Parliament on 2nd March, and inquiry director Mike Horsman will attend on behalf of the CC.

And as for HMV, will Permira - which was so cruelly rebuffed in their bid to take over because their asking price per share was too low -- try again? Simon Proctor at Charles Stanley said to Publishing News: "Who knows whether they will return, but an initial bid of 190p was clearly not intended as a knockout blow."