After the Federal Government's decision to maintain parallel import regulations on the country's book industry, JOHN HARRIS reflects how digital innovation is undermining the intent of those rules.

On Sunday I celebrated the Federal Government’s decision to protect our home-grown authors by buying a bunch of books online.

This month, the Rudd Government decided to maintain this country’s long-standing regulatory regime for importing books, despite a Productivity Commission recommendation to dump it.

In the age-old tradition of building walls to keep out unwanted consequences – from the Great Wall of China to Israel’s barrier to the West Bank – the Commonwealth has bolstered the incumbent book boundary with its agenda-setting imprimatur.

Both sides thrashed out the debate in the run-up to the RuddCo decision, from which the PM abstained because a family member is reportedly writing a book for an Australian publisher.

The status quo side argued that Aussie authors’ earnings would be decimated by US publishers dumping their surplus stock of Aussie novels on the local market - where they would be sold at a knock-down rate without earning any royalties for the writer.

Those calling for change claimed that parallel importation rules - whereby publishers are required to ensure books should be available in Australia within 30 days – keep prices high and actually discourage books from appearing on shelves because of that expense.

Although the status quos have won the battle, there is a widespread view they may actually lose the war due to the impact of new technology on the book publishing industry.

Innovations ranging from online bookstores to emerging e-book formats such as Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader are overrunning the ramparts.

Although Amazon is the world’s best-known online bookseller, both Angus & Robertson and Dymocks have good online sites, with competitive prices and shipping times.

The books I ordered –  from the back catalogue of that fine American writer James Lee Burke – comprise six Dave Robicheaux novels (including several hardbacks) and a couple of DVD movies based on the reflective detective from Louisiana.

The order cost a grand total of $193.11, of which one third is shipping. That’s what I’d have paid for just paperbacks at my suburban bookstore, where I’d also have to put them on back order.

I’ve already received shipping notes from Amazon, so I’m confident my order will arrive before my Christmas break for an ecstatic summer of reading.

In his press release announcing the Government’s decision, Federal Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs Craig Emerson noted that the Australian book printing and publishing sector is under strong competitive pressure from international online booksellers.

“The Government has formed the view that that this pressure is likely to intensify,” it noted.

“In addition, the technology of electronic books (e-books) like Kindle Books will continue to improve with further innovations and price reductions expected.”

Those pressures will increase despite the Government rejecting the Productivity Commission’s recommendation to remove the parallel importation restrictions on books.

While I have a great deal of sympathy for Australian authors - and my various mates who want to join their cadre - I wonder if perhaps the best defense of our local writers is a voracious horde of local readers, nurtured by lower prices for a wider range of books.

John Harris is managing director of Impress Media Australia. Email jharris@impress.com.au.

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