No reduced tax rate for ebooks, top EU court rules

E-books must be subject to the full rate of value-added tax (VAT), and European Union countries may not extend tax exemptions for books to include ebooks, the EU’s highest court ruled Thursday, adding that it considers downloadable ebooks to be services.Most EU member states, with the exception of Bulgaria and Denmark, impose a lower rate of VAT on physical books than on other products and services. The lower rate for books is one of a limited number of exemptions allowed under the EU’s VAT Directive.In January 2012, France lowered the VAT rate on ebooks to 5.5 percent, and Luxembourg to 3 percent, matching the rates they levied on paper books. The European Commission asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to rule that the move breached the VAT Directive.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2015-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #physical books #paper books #vat rate #lower rate #limited number

Other Publishing stories related to: 'No reduced tax rate for ebooks, top EU court rules'


Industry Notes: BookExpo’s ‘First Amendment Resistance’; EU Research Looks at VAT on Ebooks

Publishers' responsibilities with 'controversial authors professing what seem to be unpopular opinion' at BEA, while Brussels gets some perspective on VAT. The post Industry Notes: BookExpo’s ‘First Amendment Resistance’; EU Research Looks at VAT on Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebooks appeared #amendment resistance


Europe rules that libraries can lend ebooks like normal ones

Europe has ruled (PDF) that ebooks can be lent out just like their physical counterparts. That is, as noticed by Ars Technica, one copy can be "checked out" by one person at a time. After the lending period expires, that user can no longer use the b... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lend ebooks #physical counterparts #ars technica


European Publishers 'Shocked' at EU E-book Lending Ruling

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that lending of ebooks and physical books should be treated the same. Publishers immediately objected to the decision, fearing unrestricted ebook lending would cut into revenues. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #european publishers #european union #physical books


Amazon and EU 'in settlement talks' over ebook investigation

Amazon Inc and European Union regulators have started settlement discussions over the internet giant’s ebook deals with publishers, according to news reports. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #internet giant #ebook deals #news reports


EC's new geo-blocking rules won't apply to ebooks

Trade bodies representing publishers and booksellers in Europe have welcomed the fact that new European Commission rules on geo-blocking do not apply to ebooks, for the time being. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Dr. Jessica Sänger: Germany’s Börsenverein Will Back a Constitutional Court Complaint Over Copyright Levies Ruling

As Germany's publishing industry reels from a Supreme Court ruling on copyright levies that could plunge some houses into bankruptcy, legal counsel to the Börsenverein tells us that a Constitutional Court challenge will be attempted. The post Dr. Jessica Sänger: Germany’s Börsenverein Will Back... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post dr #jessica snger #legal counsel


German industry rocked by Federal Supreme Court ruling

A court ruling that ends the decades-long practice of distributing copyright levies equally between authors and publishers is rocking Germany’s book industry. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #court ruling #book industry


Apple ebook price fixing case won't reach the Supreme Court

Apple's last shot at avoiding a $450 million ebook price fixing settlement just went out the window. The US Supreme Court has declined to hear Apple's challenge of an appeals court decision that left the company on the hook for allegedly conspiring... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hear apple #supreme court


Supreme Court rejects Apple's appeal over ebook price fixing

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Apple Inc. on Monday, leaving in place a ruling that Apple conspired with publishers to raise electronic book prices when the company sought to challenge Amazon.com's dominance of the market. The justices' order lets stand an appeals court ruling that... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple conspired #challenge amazon


Supreme Court denies Apple appeal in ebooks price fixing case

Apple will pay $450 million as a settlement for ebook price fixing after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the company's appeal of a lower court's antitrust ruling.The Supreme Court's decision Monday ends Apple's appeal of the antitrust case against the company and five book publishers and... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #antitrust case #lower court #supreme court #book publishers


US appeals court rules Google's book-scanning project is legal

Google's goal of scanning millions of out-of-print books for online access has drawn the ire of authors and publishers for years. Today, a US appeals court ruled that the practice is in fact legal. Claims of infringement brought by the Authors Guil... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book-scanning project #scanning millions #out-of-print books #online access


Google's Book Scanning is Fair Use, Appeals Court Rules

An appeals court rejected the claims of the Authors Guild that Google's massive book scanning project is copyright infringement. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors guild #copyright infringement


Google's book scanning project is fair use, appeals court rules

Google's book scanning project constitutes fair use under U.S. copyright law, an appeals court confirmed Friday, ending a ten-year legal fight by the Authors Guild and other writers' groups to have it stopped. Google began working with libraries in 2004 to digitize their book collections,... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google defended #copyright law #including works #authors guild #digital form


Apple's no longer court monitored in ebook antitrust case

Apple’s ebook division will no longer be overseen by a court-appointed monitor after the US Justice Department ruled that the company had made improvements to its antitrust compliance program. Despite the positive outcome for Apple, the Justice Department was critical of the company’s... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #court-appointed monitor #justice department #iphone maker #ebook business #technology giant


Apple is taking its ebook price-fixing fight to the Supreme Court

Apple's long-running court battle over manipulating the pricing of ebooks is getting even more dramatic. Next stop, the Supreme Court, Fortune reports. Back in June, Apple failed to get a Manhattan appeals court to overturn a 2014 ruling that woul... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #supreme court


The Girl on the Train tops Amazon's UK ebook sales this year so far

Paula Hawkins’ bestseller leads a crop of psychological thrillers, in a top 20 dominated by womenDark psychological thrillers dominate the list of the year’s bestselling ebooks unveiled by Amazon, with MP Nadine Dorries making it into a line-up composed almost entirely of female writers.The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #psychological thrillers #female writers #bestselling ebook #bestselling ebooks #male writers #lee child #david nicholls


VAT Rates on Books and Ebooks Around the World

The International Publishers Association and the Federation of European Publishers has released a report of VAT rates on books and ebooks around the world. The post VAT Rates on Books and Ebooks Around the World appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world appeared #vat rates #european publishers


Court says Apple fixed ebook prices

A US federal appeals court upholds a ruling that Apple conspired with publishers fix the prices of electronic books. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2015-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple conspired #electronic books


Ebook Distributors Meet to Discuss Common EU Digital Market

In Madrid, several top ebook distributors meet to discuss mutual challenges in book publishing and the possibility of a common European digital market. The post Ebook Distributors Meet to Discuss Common EU Digital Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishing


Amazon's ebook distribution contracts could be illegal, says EU

Amazon.com’s ebook distribution deals are coming under close scrutiny from the European Commission, which has begun a formal antitrust investigation into the company’s contracts with publishers.The probe will focus on clauses in Amazon’s contracts that require publishers to tell the company... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #european commission #close scrutiny #news release #ebook sellers