The Printing Industries Association of Australia (PIAA) and allied programme Future Print are calling on printers to help support the fight to protect Australian books through its change.org petition.
According to the PIAA, a further 2000 signatures are needed to reach its target of 25,000 before the petition is forwarded to treasurer Scott Morrison.
The petition calls for Morrison to reject the implementation of any of the recommendations regarding parallel import restrictions (PIR) from the Productivity Commission’s Book Industry inquiry on the assumption that these will be the same as the draft report. The report is expected to be released in the near future.
The PIAA and Future Print describe the industry as being ‘in limbo’ since the release of the findings of the Harper Review on Competition in 2015 and a subsequent study by the Productivity Commission. The Association says the petition is our ‘last chance to help save the future of the Australian book industry’.
[Related: Ben Jolly defends Aussie book industry]
If the petition achieves its goal, a letter will be directed to Morrison outlining the devastating effects of PIR removals on Australian literature.
“If these plans are allowed to progress, Australia's authors (whose creative earnings already average less than $13,000 per year) will lose valuable royalties, career-supporting income from overseas rights sales, and the support of a healthy Australian publishing industry,” the letter reads.
“Removing PIRs on books will allow the mass importation of lower-royalty and royalty-free editions of Australian authors’ books into the Australian marketplace. These editions may originate locally or overseas and will be allowed to compete against full-royalty editions of the same books in local bookstores.”
Those wishing to sign the petition can find it at https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-save-australian-literature-stop-parallel-importation-of-books.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter