- Parallel importation
“You may have heard about how books will now be cheaper for consumers – and although this is disputed, it sounds like a good thing. But what does this really mean and what would we lose in exchange?”
– Susan Hawthorn writes in The Guardian about the damaging impact of parallel importation on our book industry, and for authors and readers alike. Read her story.
- Arts funding cuts
“Around 65 organisations have missed out on four-year funding from the Australia Council for the Arts. The announcement is the first time that the impact of last year’s Federal Budget cuts has really begun to be felt, with the Australia Council forced to accommodate the dramatic cuts made by then Arts Minister George Brandis in the 2015 Budget.”
– Kate Larsen tells us what this means for literary organisations in this Writers’ Victoria news story.
- Changes to copyright ownership
“This is a government that has no respect for us and no respect for what we do. This is a government that despises books and views with hostility the civilisation they represent. Perhaps it hopes in a growing silence that it might prosper. Certainly, it cares only about one thing: power. And only on those terms will it listen.”
– Richard Flanagan writes passionately in The Guardian against proposed changes that will see Australian authors lose copyright over their works 15-25 years after first publication. Read his column.
- Several authors express outrage
Magda Szubanski, Tim Winton, Jeanette Winterson, Jackie French and other writers express their views on these proposed industry changes, with Magda threatening to leave the country as a result. Read their words in The Guardian.
- Writers beware of scams
Scams within the publishing industry are an issue. This website, sent in from one of our members, may be a useful resource in identifying some places to avoid.
- Sign the petition
“The recommendation to reduce the term of an author’s copyright to 15 to 25 years from creation, instead of 70 years after death, contravenes free trade agreements and international standards,” the Australian Society of Authors writes in a new petition. Join with more than 12,000 in this petition to Call for Clarity on Copyright.