A government proposal to ease restrictions on the sale of imported cultural works risks harming a world-class industryThe hoopla around the release of Sally Rooney’s new novel on Tuesday – with bookshops opening early, and queues of shoppers eager to lay their hands on Beautiful World, Where Are You – has contributed to the image of a publishing industry in rude health. Last year had the highest sales in eight years. Yet authors, bricks-and-mortar bookshops and publishers alike fear that the industry faces a powerful new threat, if cheap editions legitimately produced for an overseas market are allowed to be sold in the UK. Kazuo Ishiguro, Bernardine Evaristo and others have warned that the effect on writers would be devastating.EU regulations meant that UK producers could prevent the importation of such books into Britain; in the wake of Brexit, the government is considering reversing this. A report proposes to change how we deal with the exhaustion of intellectual property rights. The document, from a taskforce headed by Iain Duncan Smith, Theresa Villiers and George Freeman, argues that, apart from limited exceptions, “in general, protectionist use of IP rights should be resisted”. It suggests that we liberalise parallel import laws “to reduce prices and increase choice for consumers” (in notes from a familiar Tory hymn sheet). This would mean that a non-UK publisher, say, that has legitimately bought the rights to publish Harry Potter, could then sell those books back... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2021-09-07 18:00:33 UTC ]
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 14:52 Lonely Planet general manager for Asia Pacific Richard Samson has died today [18th March], following a battle with a terminal illness. Samson started in his latest role in Lonely Planet's Melbourne head office in June... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 01/03/2011 - 08:22 Vintage will open its doors to 30 members of the public next month to give them a glimpse into the publishing industry, as part of its 21st birthday celebrations. The open day will be held on 18th April in Vintage's offices in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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