The Australian booksellers and publishers associations have reacted negatively to a draft report from the government's Productivity Commission recommending that "some of Australia's 'parallel importation restrictions' (PIRs) be retained, but that the current 90-day rule be abolished and that PIR protection should only apply for 12 months from the date of first publication of a book in Australia," Bookseller & Publisher Magazine's Weekly Book Newsletter reported.

Under current law, in order to secure copyright in Australia on a new book published abroad, an Australian publisher must make the title available in Australia within a certain period after its publication--in recent years, within 30 days. The law restricts bookseller sales of foreign editions of books during that period and once the book is published within that period.

While not wanting to abolish parallel importation rules outright, the commission said, the Newsletter wrote, that parallel importation restricts competition and has " 'upwards pressure on book prices in parts of the market' and that 'most of the benefits of these higher prices accrue to publishers and authors' as well as local printers, with 'most of the costs' met by consumers."

Australian Publishers Association CEO Maree McCaskill stated the proposal would "destroy" territorial copyright and "do great harm to all involved in the Australian book industry."

Australian Booksellers Association CEO Malcolm Neil remarked on a lack of "incentives in [the Commission's proposed] system for improvements in the supply chain and, while we will need to analyse the report further, it appears to focus on a 'top end of the market' solution."