On 14 July 2009, the Productivity Commission released their final report on Australia's book parallel importation restrictions (PIRs). They disagreed with the numerous submissions on keeping PIRs lodged by Australian writers, illustrators and publishing houses, and instead recommended that the government repeal PIRs for books. The report has created an uproar in the industry and there are many who see the findings as a potential death knell for Australian books and writing.
The educational publisher I work for is diametrically opposed to the recent recommendations, a view shared by most members of the Australian education publishing industry. Many educational publishers believe that the Productivity Commission doesn't understand the textbook market and that repealing PIRs will lead to a sharp decline in the quality and availability of Australian-produced content.
If you are new to this industry issue, a concise and informative piece of writing on the debate, and an outline of the key stakeholders involved (consumers, authors, publishers and retailers), is Sally Murphy's A Layman's Guide to the Cheaper Books Debate.
For those who want a comprehensive look at the controversy, Tim Coronel, the publisher of WBN (Weekly Book Newsletter), provides regularly updated links.
And, just to be balanced, here is what the Coalition for Cheaper Books has to say.
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