No, there's absolutely no law requiring it. I guess it's a historical practice. Publishers have done this for many years. Books have suggested retail pricing. Unlike other items where you'll see one retailer sell a garment at one price and a different retailer sell it at a different price, books do have that price printed on them. You may see retailers sell it at lower than the suggested retail price, but it is the top dollar that you're going to charge for an item. Our books are printed months in advance of the release, and as I mentioned earlier, the developmental costs of a book are set 18 months before the book hits the shelves.
On November 22nd, 2007. See this statement in context.