The Howard government’s decision to lift parallel import restrictions on CDs didn’t kill the Australian music industry, says Peter Costello, and the local public industry could survive just as well without protectionism.
Parallel imports
Rundle: Bob Carr, PIR galah
Bob Carr’s weekend op-ed in The Oz demonstrates in miniature all the arrogance and mendacity of the big chains’ participation in the parallel book imports debate — and why they lost it, says Guy Rundle.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The Great Book Debate
Readers weigh-in on parallel imports, asylum seekers, all-male institutions, the Traveston Dam, Tiger Woods and more.
Where’s the book buyer’s voice in the book debate?
We’ve heard from the ideologues, the book sellers and working authors. So where’s the book buyer’s voice in the book import discussion? Michael R. James weighs in.
PIR decision: Australian writers need to be left the fuck alone, to write
The government’s decision to retain parallel import restrictions on books is a rotten one, most of all for Australian writers, writes author Jack Robertson.
Crikey Says: Fairfax MIA on book imports
While The Australian afforded the issue of book reform appropriate and extensive coverage this morning, the Fairfax broadsheets were missing in action. It’s an absence Australian public life can ill-afford.
Parallel imports: how the war was won
Tom Dusevic lauds the Australian publishing industry’s “spirited, clever, nationalistic, broad-based and expensive” lobbying campaign to retain parallel import restrictions on books.
Kerr: Rudd betrays his party roots for publishers
Kevin Rudd showed celebrity means more to him than education and ideas by supporting the publishing industry over cheaper books for consumers, says Christian Kerr. His ALP forebears would not be impressed.
Stutchbury: Rudd’s book backdown shows a lack of spine
Kevin Rudd’s inability to stand up to Australia’s lightweight publishing industry and a bunch of angry authors betrays his lack of policy backbone in supporting the free market, says Michael Stuchbury.
A victory for special interests over evidence and common sense
The Government has completely ignored the calculations and sound evidence produced by the Productivity Commission by deciding to retain the parallel import restrictions on books, says Joshua Gans.
Rudd ducks again: book import slug stays
So we retain parallel import restrictions on books. Those of us who don’t buy our books online will continue to pay too much, with the bulk of that extra cost going to overseas authors and publishers.
Book import change can only hurt consumers
What sets Australia’s book retail environment apart is its variety and the range of books on our shelves, but the latest turn of events in the saga of Australian territorial copyright for books is putting that reputation at risk, writes Steve Robinson.
Caucus debate misses the point, chapter and verse, on books
What’s happening with parallel book imports? The publishing industry is on the cusp of major change driven by online delivery. The most appropriate role for the government is to step aside and let consumers take the lead.
War on books: the fightback
The Productivity Commission’s “jihad on books” continues, says W. H. Chong, with a roundup of the news from the week just past.
Publishing ban not expected to be lifted
Although the ALP conference has been largely stage managed, one thing is clear: if the government decides to lift the ban on the parallel importation of books, it will be strongly opposed, says Phillip Coorey.
Guy Rundle: Friday drive-bys: Best Chaser stunt ever! … Productivity Commission farce
Guy Rundle’s musings on Gerard Henderson, bloggy battles at News Ltd and more.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Guy Rundle, space travel and Jefferson Starship
Crikey readers shoot for the stars with Guy Rundle, stick up for Cafe Lattes, sink the boot into Stilgherrian and more.
Literature? What’s that got to do with the price of books?
In all the talk of the Productivity Commission and the price of publishing, we shouldn’t forget that a book is not a novel. We shouldn’t be focusing on the container, but the content.
Victorian government gets behind authors
Victorian Premier John Brumby, often regarded as a pro-market economic rationalist, has slammed the Productivity Commission’s call to end protection of the local book industry. In fact, it’s state policy.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Reading between the lines of parallel imports
Crikey readers on parallel imports, climate change, government debt and more.
The cultural cringe of publishing industry protectionism
Scrapping parallel import restrictions ruin the Australian publishing industry, says Tim Wilson: it will be killed by “cultural cringe” from authors and publishers who want to stop it being globally competitive.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Stern Hu is not Schapelle Corby
Crikey readers weigh in on Stern Hu, parallel import restrictions on books, Peter Garrett and more.
Guy Rundle: Book parallel import restrictions a ludicrous anachronism
The “remainder” problem for Oz authors obviously has to be addressed — and it’s an area the Productivity Commission has barely addressed.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The battle of the books
Childrens’ author Mem Fox and other Crikey readers weigh-in on parallel imports, plus Stern Hu, Honduras, and more.
Parallel importation: devilish Dymocks detail
Dymocks have led the charge to abolish the parallel import restrictions. But would this really make their books cheaper? asks Michael James.
