Labor party backtracks on print protection

Printers and publishers are up in arms over the federal Government's talk of removing restrictions on imported books.

According to the recently released meeting communiqué, the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) have agreed to a number of priority areas for competition reform including parallel importation of books with implementation plans to be considered in October 2008. The Federal Government will request the Productivity Commission undertake reviews of Australia's anti-dumping system and parallel import restrictions on books.

Book printers McPherson's and Ligare both expressed opposition to this news, which they believe would pose a serious threat to the industry.

"Such a movement would have a negative effect on the Australian publishing an printing industry," said Alan Fahy, chief executive of McPherson's. "There will be less books printed here, and less jobs."

CEO of Ligare, Cliff Brigstocke, believes that the potential opening for imported books would have a crippling effect on the Australian labour force.

"We believe that this will just continue to force printing to cheaper labour markets where larger global publishers could release titles simultaneously without any import restrictions which in turn reduces local manufacturing in print," he said.

"We want to support the Australian manufacturing and publishing industry."

Booksellers have been supportive of the news and Allan Fells, dean of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, thinks that it is time for Australia to adopt these changes.

Brigstocke said that Ligare would be working closely with Printing Industries to lobby its position with the Government.

Printing Industries CEO, Philip Andersen, has confirmed that the association will oppose any Federal Government attempts to remove the 30-day rule.

Andersen said that while under the 30-day rule, Australian copyright owners have control over who is allowed to import books; the 30-day rule does not provide a blanket prohibition on the supply of the new book titles to the Australian market.

"The 30-day rule stipulates that local publishers must supply a book to the Australian market within 30 days of its publication overseas. If the book is not supplied within that timeframe, the local copyright holder forsakes their copyright privileges allowing booksellers to import the book directly from any overseas supplier for distribution within Australia," he said.

Andersen said that Printing Industries would be working with the main stakeholders in the book printing industry to oppose any moves by the Federal Government to remove the 30-day rule. Other stakeholders such as the Australian Book Publishers Association have also been approached to help coordinate lobbying efforts.

"The issue will also be raised with the Commonwealth Government both through the framework of the proposed Printing Industry Working Group as well as directly with the office of the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, the Honourable Chris Bowen.

 "The minor parties who now hold the balance of power in the Senate will also be approached as well as the Opposition," he said.

Printing Industries' national manager for policy and government affairs, Hagop Tchamkertenian, said this was the third attempt by the Federal Government during the past 12 years to have the 30-day rule abolished.

"The 30-day rule has been in operation since 1991 and has provided considerable economic benefit for the local book printing industry," he said.

"Some book printing companies derive the bulk of their revenue stream from the operation of the 30-day rule."