Restrictions on Parallel Importation of Books: Productivity Commission releases final report

The Productivity Commission has released its final report on the parallel importation of books to Australia.

The final recommendations depart from the Commission's draft recommendations released on 20 March 2009, with the Commission now recommending that:

• the government repeal parallel import restrictions on books, but that the repeal should take effect three years after the date it is announced;
• the government should, as soon as possible, review subsidies that are currently aimed at encouraging Australian writing and publishing, with a view to better targeting the “cultural externalities” of the parallel importation provisions, and that any revised arrangements should be put in place before the provisions are repealed;
• the effect of the repeal of the provisions and of any revised subsidy arrangements should be monitored and assessed five years after implementation; and that
• to assist that assessment, the Australian Bureau of Statistics should undertake a revised version of its 2003-04 surveys of the books industry and market and then update these revised surveys prior to the commencement of the five year assessment.

The full report is available on the Productivity Commission website.

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Final Productivity Commission Report on Parallel Importation of Books