News

Piracy fight must be "ramped up" - PA a.g.m.

03.05.12 | Philip Jones

The Publishers Association must escalate the fight against piracy and use authors to press the case against copyright theft, members of the association heard at the annual general meeting.

Incoming PA president Little, Brown chief executive Ursula Mackenzie said the PA needed to "ramp up" the fight against piracy "or to give it another name, theft", and use authors to explain to consumers the amount of work that goes into the creation of published books. She said the association needed to further highlight the issue of having VAT on digital books, which drew an "absurd" distinction between the delivery formats: printed books are zero rated, while digital books attract the full 20% rate.

She also said the PA would continue to urge—where appropriate—the Competition Commission to look into the issue of retailer dominance. "We must do what we can to convince them that in the long term this [situation] is not in the best interests of the consumer."

In his outgoing speech made at the a.g.m. president Rod Bristow, of Pearson UK, stressed the tough market conditions that have now prevailed for a number of years, but said he was confident publishers could meet them. "I am not sure that repetition alone does justice to the nature of the challenge or the opportunity that this industry faces." Adding: "This is a time like no other; but it is not a time to retreat and retrench. Rather the reverse, it is the time for creativity and confidence to shine through."

At the a.g.m. Nick Fowler, director of strategy at Elsevier, was made PA vice-president, with Penguin UK chief executive Tom Weldon joining the committee. The PA's annual accounts showed that it recorded a surplus of £22,000 in 2011. It spent £196,000 on anti-piracy measures over the year.
 

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By Robert_Gottlieb

These early days of ebook publishing presents an opportunity to deal with an ever growing cloud over our industry. Publishers have not been as aggressive nor vigilant as they should in dealing with this major problem. They have for the most part in the U.S. been satisfied with asking websites to take down illegal books only to see them back up for sale shortly thereafter.

There is a two front campaign that needs to be done in the U.S.

1. Going after the hosters of sites that provide illegal down loads. I have advised publishers in the U.S. to go outside their own legal departments and hire the best litigators in New York to devise a strategy around "economic loss" due to the sale of illegal down loads as opposed to seeking criminal charges for copyright infringement. The potential loss for publishers in the U.S. is huge and going after websites that host illegal down loads for compensation due publishers and authors will create a chill amongst all the hosters. I want to add that authors are depending on publishers to protect their books and are obligated to do so under contract.

2. Lobby the Congress in D.C. to change the laws that protect hosters who allow illegal down loads on their sites. Force them either to reregulate themselves or they should be forced to do so under penalty of law. To accomplish this publishers need to do two things. First they need to hire the right lobbying firms in D.C. Second they need to hire the most politically connected law firm and work with both the above parties to devise a substantial plan of attack.

This problem is going to quickly impact the industry in trade and elsewhere in publishing. Measures now must be taken to stem what we see happening in countries like Russia where the book business is being brought to it's knees as a result of piracy.

Publishers are simply not equipped inside their own businesses in my opinion to go it alone. It is counter to their coutures and historical business practices. They have never been faced with anything like this nor it’s scale.

I would like to add to all those in publishing who expressed to me the idea that publishing ebooks simultaneously with the print book would help stem the tide of piracy you were dead wrong.

Robert Gottlieb
Chairman
Trident Media Group, LLC
www.tridentmediagroup.com

Thu, 03/05/2012 - 15:34
By Robert_Gottlieb

These early days of ebook publishing presents an opportunity to deal with an ever growing cloud over our industry. Publishers have not been as aggressive nor vigilant as they should in dealing with this major problem. They have for the most part in the U.S. been satisfied with asking websites to take down illegal books only to see them back up for sale shortly thereafter.

There is a two front campaign that needs to be done in the U.S.

1. Going after the hosters of sites that provide illegal down loads. I have advised publishers in the U.S. to go outside their own legal departments and hire the best litigators in New York to devise a strategy around "economic loss" due to the sale of illegal down loads as opposed to seeking criminal charges for copyright infringement. The potential loss for publishers in the U.S. is huge and going after websites that host illegal down loads for compensation due publishers and authors will create a chill amongst all the hosters. I want to add that authors are depending on publishers to protect their books and are obligated to do so under contract.

2. Lobby the Congress in D.C. to change the laws that protect hosters who allow illegal down loads on their sites. Force them either to reregulate themselves or they should be forced to do so under penalty of law. To accomplish this publishers need to do two things. First they need to hire the right lobbying firms in D.C. Second they need to hire the most politically connected law firm and work with both the above parties to devise a substantial plan of attack.

This problem is going to quickly impact the industry in trade and elsewhere in publishing. Measures now must be taken to stem what we see happening in countries like Russia where the book business is being brought to it's knees as a result of piracy.

Publishers are simply not equipped inside their own businesses in my opinion to go it alone. It is counter to their coutures and historical business practices. They have never been faced with anything like this nor it’s scale.

I would like to add to all those in publishing who expressed to me the idea that publishing ebooks simultaneously with the print book would help stem the tide of piracy you were dead wrong.

Robert Gottlieb
Chairman
Trident Media Group, LLC
www.tridentmediagroup.com

Thu, 03/05/2012 - 15:34

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