With retail giant Amazon's expansion into Australia confirmed, the battle lines have been drawn. Some have heralded their arrival as the competitive scare Australian retailers need, while others have derided the retailer with claims its appeal will be short lived. Regardless, Amazon's arrival heralds a new era for national publishing, and could muddy the waters around copyright laws protecting Australian authors and publishers.
Navigating the complexities of this change requires a balanced look at both sides of the argument. Legal professionals like Alder IP are the ones who can answer if Amazon will mark the end or the rebirth of Australian book industry?
The Australian Publishing Association argues that amending Parallel Importation rules infringes on their creative copyright.
The end of Australian publishing
Or not quite. Many individuals across the nation welcome the opportunity for Amazon to shake up the Australian book industry and provide better competition in supplying the nation with literature. Greater market competition, so it is argued, will go a long way to dropping the artificially high prices of books in Australia, protected as they are by Parallel Importation. Established under the Copyright Act in 1968, Parallel Importation laws protect Australian books from being undercut by lower overseas prices.
Numerous calls to amend these intellectual property laws have been made over the years. However, the Australian Publishing Association argues that amending the rules infringes on its creative copyright, with a recent report pointing to New Zealand's removal of equivalent laws and subsequent publishing dip as a warning.
Amazon's arrival may give the nation's stagnant book industry the jolt it needs to drop the inflated prices of books.
The rebirth of Australian publishing
Customers and other interest groups in Australia claim that Amazon's arrival will give the stagnant book industry the jolt it needs to drop the inflated prices of books nationwide and try to maintain competitive with world standards. A University of Melbourne article from Communications professor Dr. Beth Driscoll states that although the impact of Amazon on national publishing will be seismic, the effects will likely be more pronounced on Australian department stores than publishers and authors.
Dr. Driscoll also asserts that literary circles will likely snub Amazon for the most part in favour of supporting local industries, bookshops and publishers. This support is also highlighted in the New York Times as being key in the failure of Borders, the book giant, to overhaul local retailers in Australia in the mid-2000s.
No matter which side of the debate you sit on, the effects on copyright laws in Australia will be massive in years to come. Understanding the complexities of copyright law is a challenge – the two sides of the Amazon debate stand to lose or gain the multimillion dollar publishing industry in Australia. Knowing your copyright protections is easier with expert legal representation – so call Alder IP today.