Craig Emerson, the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy; the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, and the Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation, has just issued a press release stating that parallel importation regulations will not be changed. That's correct: NOT be changed. Which means Australian copyright still exists and Australian authors have the same fair shot at getting published that they had a couple of years ago (the industry has been understandably nervous the last year and a bit).
This is extraordinary news, and I can't begin to describe my relief. I've had more to do with this issue in the last few weeks than I thought I would, and from close up it wasn't looking too hopeful.
To the booksellers who will be disappointed, I can only say that Amazon has precisely the share of the Australian market that it should have - books are not cheaper from Amazon when you're paying to fly them here, and people seem to order from Amazon when there's a book they just can't get here, not when there's a book that's delayed by a month (because flying the book here takes almost as long unless you want to pay huge courier fees). I know all of this because I order books from Amazon and it is always books that I just can't get here, for whatever reason (usually because they're out of print).
To the large chains who think they're hard done by: count your discount blessings while you have them and stop to think that there is absolutely nothing to prevent publishers selling direct from their websites. The internet means that a book can be sourced from many different places - there is no reason that one of those places shouldn't be the publishing company, with its big warehouse and courier contracts.
Big thanks to all of you who wrote to your MPs, who wrote on your own blogs and generally provided support - a special shout-out to Theresa L.
7 comments:
Wooo!
And I agree with you about Amazon. I only buy from them when I can't find the book in Australia. It's the same price and too long to wait otherwise.
Good news indeed.
And ditto re Amazon.
Would dancing in the street be too much?
Cheers to you, Agent Sydney! A toast to your success & happiness. You carried the hopes and dreams of many Australians on your shoulders.
Your readers will be relieved that their anonymous, blogging super-agent won't be requiring a career change....
Great, great news! The right decision prevailed in the end.
And you're so right about Amazon - once you factor in shipping times/price there's not much of a benefit to shopping there (unless, as you said, it's for books you can't get here). Besides, if you shop from Amazon's US store you have to put up with books with gross American covers!
Dancing in the street too much? I'd even condone limbo down the lane.
bookdepository.co.uk. It's genius. I'm not affiliated with it in any way but it's a much better alternative to Amazon and if it were better known I think there would be more of an impact on the book buying market. Buyers are savvy and paying a fair price for a book that is delivered to your door within two weeks is a much better buying experience than dealing with irritating salespeople in bookstores.
Post a Comment