The campaign to retain Australian territorial copyright for books has been a great success.
On 11 November, the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Dr Craig Emerson, announced that the Government had decided to leave book copyright rules unchanged.
“In the circumstances of intense competition from online books and e-books, the Government judged that changing the regulations governing book imports is unlikely to have any material effect on the availability of books in Australia,” Dr Emerson said.
The Australian book industry has warmly welcomed the decision.
The Australian Society of Authors’ Executive Director, Dr Jeremy Fisher said the decision was a clear victory for Australia’s literary creators.
“Minister Emerson correctly highlights the fact that e-books and digital technology are having an impact on the Australian publishing industry,” Dr Fisher added.
“The ASA welcomes change. We constantly seek new means to increase authors’ incomes. We are currently in discussions relating to fair contracts for authors with regard to e-books and products such as Kindle. We have also taken an active role in the US-based Google Book Settlement, which will see authors being able to pursue income streams for out-of-print works. The ASA will always seek improved income streams for its members in both print and digital forms.”
The CEO of the Australian Publishers Association, Maree McCaskill, said the decision acknowledged the strong arguments advanced by authors, printers, printing unions, agents and publishers in the debate on the issue.
“As the Government has pointed out, Australian book publishing is under strong competitive pressure and this pressure is likely to intensify,” Ms McCaskill said.
“Australian territorial copyright for books is fundamental to the nation’s dynamic book publishing industry, which is able to develop Australian talent while providing one of the widest ranges of books in the world quickly and at highly competitive prices.
“The Government is to be strongly congratulated for supporting Australian authors, printers, printing workers, agents and publishers.”
Authors, publishers, agents, printing unions and publishers warmly thank all who have supported them in this important campaign. Your support has been vital.
Regulatory regime for books to remain unchanged
The Government has decided not to change the Australian regulatory regime for books introduced by the previous Labor government.
Protest rally in Melbourne to support printing and publishing industry
Bendigo Federal MP Steve Gibbons will attend and speak at a protest rally in Melbourne on Wednesday, November 11 as the campaign against changes to territorial copyright laws affecting the book publishing and printing industries gains pace.
eBooks to go on over-the-counter sale in Australia
Australians will be able to buy digital books over the counter at bookstores from next year using a digital distribution system constructed for Australian book publishers.
Shame on Minister's territorial copyright sham proposal
Printing Industries has accused the Federal Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Craig Emerson of a “sham” in attempting to retain the territorial copyright provisions in name while ending the 30-day rule.
An author reviews the Productivity Commission’s report on books
Author Robyn Webb reviews the Productivity Commission’s report on Australian territorial copyright on books and finds it wanting. ‘the logic and research in the Report is flawed, uses selective reasoning and has been cooked-up to serve the interests of a marginal group of stakeholders,” Robyn concludes. See full report
Productivity Commission “increasingly desperate”
The Productivity Commission’s response to a critical analysis of its report on book copyright shows it is getting increasingly desperate to defend its discredited price analysis, Australian publishers said today.
Aussie readers getting a great deal on Dan Brown
Australian bookbuyers are getting a great deal with the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol, released today.
A review of ‘Restrictions on the Parallel Importation of Books’ Research Report by the Productivity Commission, June 2009
This study reviews the report ‘Restrictions on the Parallel Import of Books' by the Productivity Commission of the Australian government(henceforth:
report).It is concluded that the report provides an insufficient basis for a policy reform as it does not collect the information about the relevant market that is necessary for an evaluation of the status-quo and economic impact of alternative policy proposals.
Productivity Commission Report Found Wanting
Two leading international economists have questioned the report by the Productivity Commission which recommends abolishing Australian territorial copyright for books.
Minister Carr commits to industry
“The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, has poured cold water on the Productivity Commission’s recommendations on abolition of Australian territorial copyright for books."
ALP Conference wants territorial copyright inquiry
A decision by the ALP Conference in Sydney establishing a working group to examine the Productivity Commission’s recommendations to end territorial copyright has been welcomed by Printing Industries.
ASA welcomes ALP National Conference resolution
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) welcomes yesterday’s resolution of the ALP National Conference “that the Government should give priority to encouraging Australians to keep on buying Australian books and to maximising the economic, cultural and creative viability of Australian literature and Australian book industries”.
Publishers welcome Conference decision on book copyright
Media Release: 30 July 2009 Australian publishers have welcomed a decision by the ALP’s National Conference to set
up a working group to report to the Federal Government on the Productivity Commission
recommendation to abolish territorial copyright for books.
Strengthening creative copyright
Media Release: 21 July 2009 The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences today said the Productivity Commission's recommendations to reduce copyright protection for publishers and authors were of great concern.
Printing Industries tells PM 30 day rule must stay
Media Release: 20 July 2009 The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, Labor Ministers, the National Party, Independents and Greens have been targeted in a campaign launched by Printing Industries Association of Australia (Printing Industries) to head off the Productivity Commission recommendations to end territorial copyright.
Book printing industry viability threatened by Productivity Commission Recommendation
Media Release: 14 July 2009 The Printing Industries Association of Australia (Printing Industries) has condemned the recommendations contained in the final report of the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into book copyright provisions released today.
30-day rule must stay
Media Release: 28 April 2009 The Printing Industries Association of Australia (Printing Industries) has strongly advocated the retention of the 30-day rule in its final submission to the Productivity Commission's current inquiry into restrictions on the parallel importation of books.
'Half-pregnant’ Productivity Commission report fails to deliver
Press Release: 24 March 2009 Printing Industries has slammed the Productivity Commission’s draft recommendations to remove restrictions on the parallel importation of books and has branded them a prescription for being ‘half pregnant’.
Printing Industries Opposes 30 Day Rule Change
Press Release: 16 July 2008 Printing Industries' CEO Philip Andersen has confirmed that the Association will oppose any Federal Government attempts to remove the 30 day rule.
Australian Literary Agents' Association on the Productivity Commission
Press Release: July 14 2009 The Australian Literary Agents’ Association (ALAA) is not surprised by the findings of the Productivity Commission in their report on the Restrictions on the Parallel Importation of Books into Australia released today.
Scholars alarmed at outlook on books
Media Release: 14 July 2009 The Australian Academy of the Humanities (AAH) and the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia(ASSA) today responded with concern to the Productivity Commission’s proposal to remove Parallel
Import Restrictions that provide some buffer for local authors, publishers and local booksellers against
the overwhelming force of global content and commercial power.
Copyright rule plan is a triumph of ideology over evidence: Publishers
Media Release: 14 July 2009 Australian publishers say the Productivity Commission’s plan to abolish territorial copyright for Australian books is a triumph of arid, free-market dogma over evidence, and that it would cause great damage if accepted.
Productivity commission study – Booksellers left frustrated and disappointed.
Media Release: 14th July 2009 Australian Booksellers Association CEO, Malcolm Neil said that the productivity commission appear to have listened to only a small segment of the market, and that their lack of response to bookseller concerns leaves them frustrated and disappointed.
Parallel Importation of Books: ASA rejects findings of Productivity Commission
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) rejects the findings of the Productivity Commission on the Parallel Importation Restrictions of Books into Australia.
Publishers say examine book price claims closely
Media Release: 25 June 2009 Australian book publishers today asked Federal MPs and Senators to closely examine
claims by booksellers Dymocks, Wesfarmers and Woolworths about UK and Australian book prices.
Book cost claim deceptive
Media Release: 22 June 2009 Claims by bookseller Dymocks about UK and Australian prices for Tim Winton’s award-winning book Breath are deceptive, say Australian book publishers.
Watch Tim Winton talk about the importance of Australian territorial copyright -
Sydney Writers Festival – Speech by the Premier, Nathan Rees
Saturday 23 May 2009 "Bob, I’m sorry, on this issue you’re wrong".
Exchange rates drive book prices
Media Release: 14 June 2009 Exchange rates drive book prices A new study of book price differences between Australia, the UK and the US has shown that prices are driven by exchange rate movements, not copyright rules.
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