The Bookseller.com

21st November 2009

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Brits take a beating in turf wars

07.06.07 Gayle Feldman

UK publishers are guilty of "atavistic protectionism that breaches the free trade laws of the EU", Karl Heinz Petzler, owner of Portuguese distribution company Lisma, claimed at BEA.

Speaking at a terse panel on "turf wars"—the follow-up to last year's fiery debate between Simon & Schuster Inc president Carolyn Reidy and Hachette Livre c.e.o. Tim Hely-Hutchinson—he accused Hachette Livre of mounting "a unilateral coup" to try to block free trade of US English-language editions in Europe. "This is a hypocritical attempt to escape home-made problems. Britain considers Brussels the capital of all evil, while considering India part of an imaginary empire called the Commonwealth."

Also speaking on the panel, Lynn Kaplanian Buller, owner of the American Book Center in Amsterdam, described UK attempts "to close markets" as "a last-gasp tactic driven by fear". Restricting Europe to the UK edition of English-language books "might cut sales in half," she added.

There was no British representation on the panel, despite efforts by chairman Brian DeFiore to recruit a UK speaker—but Brits in the audience included Macmillan c.e.o. Richard Charkin, who walked out halfway through, muttering: "I can't take this."

Compromise came from Kim McArthur, president of the eponymous Canadian publisher, who suggested allowing Canada to go with the originating publisher that made the investment in developing the author (generally the American publisher for American authors, and the British publisher for British authors). "Rather than waste time, energy and good will, we should work in the most sensible way we can to do best by the author," she said.

When Charkin returned, he reminded the audience that "copyright is a monopoly" by definition.

US Gayle Feldman BEA