Booksellers Weigh in On Rights War

-- Publishers Weekly, 6/19/2006

Last week, five major European booksellers and distributors sent an open letter to American and British publishers voicing their concern over the attempt by U.K. houses to get exclusive rights to the European market. The issue, simmering for months, came to the fore at a lively session at BookExpo America this May.

In their letter, the booksellers gave four reasons why they “stongly oppose” the British move, including their belief that giving the British exclusivity would not lead to higher book sales in stores. Rather, the letter said, the move would “be an invitation to Internet deals, such as Amazon, who could supply consumers anywhere with the edition of their choice.” The absence of competition would also lead the British publishers to fix their retail prices and terms, the letter stated. Keeping the market open to American titles will provide cosumers with choice and higher sales, the booksellers said.

The five booksellers who signed the letter were: Karl Heinz Petzler, director of Lisma Lda. of Lisbon; Jorge Brentano, director, comercial atheneum, Barcelona; Jan Andersen, director, Politikens Boghal, Copenhagen; Lynn Kaplanian-Buller, director, The American Book Centers, Amsterdam and The Hague; and Odile Hellier, director, Village Voice, Paris.