664:) shows that in France, the FBP helped to maintain a dense network of independent bookshops, reined in the deployment of chain bookstores and spurred supermarkets to boost their offer of books. Fishwick also shows that while the number of published titles increases as fast as in France, there is no sign of an overall increase of book prices. He shows however that this stability hides a strong distributive effect. Comparison with France show that the FBP leads to an increase of the price of bestsellers relative to non-FBP markets and a decrease of low-selling or long-selling books. He argues that the assessment of this effect is difficult, since the relation between the (un)popularity of a book and its cultural value is unclear, whereas consumers of low-selling books are, on average, wealthier than consumers of bestsellers (making a FBP a subsidy of wealthier people by poorer people).
112:
645:) notices that the level of book prices and the number of published titles evolves in a similar manner in all Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland) although only Norway has a FBP and Finland belongs to a different linguistic group. In Denmark (FBP since 2000), however, book prices have increased one-third quicker than general inflation since 1985 and the number of books sold has fallen by two-thirds, a sharp contrast with Sweden and Norway, which belong to the same linguistic group. His conclusion, supported by elements from (
656:), the ending of the FBPA in the UK (1995) did not lead to a sharp decrease of the number of bookshops, rather to a displacement of small, independent bookshops by big-chain outlets. He notices however that the former stayed in place where a quality-sensitive demand existed, and that competition between bookshops spurred a reduction of operational costs thanks to better logistics and collection management (an argument also found in (
827:
100:, p. 742). Such bookshops have additional costs that are not borne by discounters, who just stock their shelves with the current blockbusters. Since the latter represent a large proportion of book sales, price competition between high-quality bookshops and discounters reduces bookshops' profitability.
593:
on the other retailer's effort by setting its price slightly below his competitor (which cannot correspondingly cut his price, since he supports the cost of a higher level of effort). This leads to a suboptimal (too low, from the publisher's point of view) level of aggregate effort. By cancelling the
95:
The main reason for introducing the FBP (either by agreement or law) is conviction that a dense network of well-stocked, high quality bookshops is a necessary condition for the publication of a large variety of books, large variety itself deemed desirable for the cultural life of a country
831:
649:), is that the effects of a FBP are less than both proponents and critics make them, and that other institutional agreements (e.g. only pure bookshops can carry textbooks in Norway) better explain the evolution of the book markets in those countries.
634:) provide empirical assessments of FBP comparing countries with and without a FBP (Nordic countries for Ringstad, France and the UK for Fishwick). According to these authors, the two main effects of a repeal of a FBP is a displacement of small
553:) on the German case) and the book industry argue that the FBP is the only tool that allows difficult, high-brow, and culturally significant books to be published. Therefore, they say, the distortion should account for the much larger cultural
325:
Business agreement among members of book sellers association and publishers since 1962 (renegotiated in 2005). Law binding to all book sellers proposed in 2013, but unsure whether next parliament will repeal proposal before it takes effect.
565:
The cultural merits ascribed to such agreements have almost reached mythical proportions. No public debate in Europe on the cultural value of books is complete without a discussion of the FBP.
79:
Fixed book price systems, with various provisos, have existed in some developed countries since the beginning of the twentieth century. They remain in force in one third member states of the
589:, that is can undertake an unobservable costly effort that increases the demand for both of them (advertisement, sessions with authors, thematic weeks), each one has an incentive to
557:
of meaningful cultural works. More recent work has found positive effects arising from FBP policies, based on a cross-country examination of
European nations. As (
608:
there is no guarantee that the subsidy will occur anyway. In fact, the authors suggest that both publishers and booksellers have an incentive not to carry it out
87:, allowing sellers to deviate from a price set by publishers by a small degree. Thus they are only limiting price competition, not suppressing it entirely.
696:
545:) for a specific discussion) are skeptical of the cultural merits of the FBP and underline its distorting effect. On the other hand, other economists ((
753:
601:), the main idea of FBP (keeping best seller prices high in order to subsidize the sale of less popular books) is unconvincing for several reasons:
892:
68:
between booksellers in order to promote the sale of little-known, difficult or otherwise culturally interesting books rather than catering only to
784:
594:
possibility of price competition, a FBP makes impossible this kind of opportunistic behaviour and induces both retailers to compete in services.
1117:
965:
103:
The FBP allows the publisher to mitigate this competition and thereby guarantees a sufficient margin for high-quality bookshops to operate.
1136:
866:
150:
was seen with much suspicion. Conversely, other countries (Spain 1975, Greece 1997, Italy 2005) enacted laws making the FBP mandatory.
31:
to determine the price of a book at which it is to be sold to the public. FBP can take the form of a law, mandatory obligation on all
638:
by larger chain outlets and a decrease in the price of bestsellers, compensated by an increase of the price of all other books.
153:
The following table gives an overview of the prevalence of FBP in rich countries (sources: European
Booksellers Federation and (
460:
146:
in the 1970s led to a wave of repeals of those agreements (Australia 1972, Sweden 1974, UK 1995) at a time when any form of
142:
Historically, most countries with a significant book industry have known an FBPA since the 19th century. The development of
69:
1044:
714:
111:
739:
1141:
586:
147:
20:
700:
83:
as well as in some other countries. Despite the name, most fixed book price laws and agreements actually set
1146:
575:
760:
516:
Prohibited by the competition authority in 1999. Legislation reintroducing it failed in a 2012 referendum.
948:
Canoy, Marcel; van Ours, Jan C.; van der Ploeg, Frederick (2006), "Chapter 21: The
Economics of Books",
896:
635:
65:
978:, Les Études de la documentation française (in French) (2 ed.), Paris: La Documentation française
73:
985:"Resale price maintenance for books in Germany and the European Union: A legal and economic analysis"
611:
if less popular books are less price elastic than popular books, monopoly profits in them are higher
852:
919:"Empirical Effects of Resale Price Maintenance: Evidence from Fixed Book Price Policies in Europe"
72:
readers. To do so, an FBP is deemed to ensure that the booksellers that provide the corresponding
1097:
1089:
1026:
798:
590:
456:
143:
54:
1113:
961:
1081:
1069:
1018:
953:
926:
50:
392:
Yes, by law. The fixed price is imposed the first 6 months after publication of the book.
952:, Handbook on the Economics of Art and Culture, vol. 1, Elsevier, pp. 720–761,
282:
Law since 2001, with amendments made in 2011 to tighten the law (so called Levi Reform)
80:
58:
989:
From
Economic to Legal Competition: New Perspectives on Law and Institutions in Europe
957:
1130:
1101:
1030:
537:
The assessment of the FBP is a controversial one. On the one hand, most economists ((
1003:
1022:
554:
314:
Law since 2008 (applies only to the first 18 months after the book publication)
84:
76:
are able to recoup their higher costs with a guaranteed margin on blockbusters.
1110:Å sette pris på bøker : om prissystema for bøker i ein del europeiske land
617:
even if the subsidy works, it's not clear that it's worth the price distortion
36:
930:
873:. Dublin: Oireachtas. 6 February 1996. pp. Vol.461 No.1 p.159 cc193–195
740:"LEY 10/2007, de 22 de junio, de la lectura, del libro y de las bibliotecas"
28:
785:"'The Age of Discontent' – Greek publishing through six years of austerity"
614:
even if the subsidy works, there is no accounting for what or how it's done
984:
813:
918:
43:
718:
47:
1093:
605:
the market subsidizes new books per se, in order to get a best seller
40:
32:
1085:
699:. European Booksellers Federation. 1 February 2006. Archived from
110:
578:
frameworks can be applied to assess the consequences of the FBP.
24:
125: Countries with book prices fixed by business agreement.
598:
585:). This paper states that when two retailer can engage on
558:
538:
154:
97:
715:"LEY 25.542 de Defensa de la Actividad Librera, de 2001"
459:
applied until 1992; it was disallowed in 1994 by the
183:
Since 1888, mutual agreement replaced by law in 2002
159:
1072:(1960), "Why Should Manufacturers Want Fair Trade",
249:
Business agreement repealed in 1979, law since 1981
814:"EXPECTATIVAS DE CITAS EN EL MUNDO: ¿QUIÉN PAGA?"
1004:"On the cultural blessings of fixed book prices"
53:. An example of a trade agreement is the former
227:Business agreement since 1837, amended in 2001
976:Le Livre, mutations d'une industrie culturelle
550:
337:Business agreement since 1923, law since 2005
119: Countries with book prices fixed by law.
1045:"Le Commerce du livre au royaume-Uni en 2004"
8:
950:Handbook of the Economics of Art and Culture
681:Appelman, Marja (2003). "Fixed book price".
893:"Ley del libro, de 18 de noviembre de 2000"
828:"Decreto-Lei n. 176/96, de 21 de Setembro"
39:. An example of a fixed book price law is
646:
131: Countries without fixed book prices
35:, or an agreement between publishers and
1011:International Journal of Cultural Policy
923:Journal of Competition Law and Economics
657:
653:
642:
631:
627:
599:Canoy, van Ours & van der Ploeg 2006
559:Canoy, van Ours & van der Ploeg 2006
542:
539:Canoy, van Ours & van der Ploeg 2006
161:Fixed book prices in selected countries
155:Canoy, van Ours & van der Ploeg 2006
98:Canoy, van Ours & van der Ploeg 2006
1112:(in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk kulturråd.
754:"Ley 9/1975, de 12 de marzo, del Libro"
673:
171:
867:"Written Answers - NET Book Agreement"
582:
661:
546:
64:The key idea of an FBP is to promote
7:
983:Backhaus, J.G.; Hansen, R. (2003),
917:Williams, Rhys J. (30 March 2024).
581:The most commonly cited result is (
14:
660:)). In a counterfactual manner, (
238:2007 Law substituting a 1975 Law
683:A Handbook of Cultural Economics
260:Law since 1997, amended in 2014
216:Law since 2003, amended in 2014
799:"LEGGE 27 luglio 2011, n. 128"
1:
958:10.1016/S1574-0676(06)01021-0
1074:Journal of Law and Economics
759:(in Spanish). Archived from
1023:10.1080/1028663042000312570
1163:
1137:Anti-competitive practices
697:"The book trade in Europe"
551:Backhaus & Hansen 2003
359:Law since 2014 until 2020
1108:Fjeldstad, Anton (2001).
1043:Fishwick, Franck (2005),
812:Maria (28 October 2015).
587:tangible presale services
974:Rouet, François (2007),
428:United States of America
148:resale price maintenance
21:resale price maintenance
853:"Preço único de livros"
576:industrial organization
561:, p. 743) put it,
549:) on the French case, (
931:10.1093/joclec/nhae004
636:independent bookstores
567:
139:
1002:Ringstad, V. (2004),
570:Theoretical framework
563:
461:Competition Authority
114:
66:non-price competition
925:. pp. 108–136.
871:Dáil Éireann Debates
622:Empirical assessment
541:) for an overview, (
303:Domestic books only
271:Business agreement
162:
19:(FBP) is a form of
1052:Les Cahiers du SLF
787:. 12 January 2016.
457:Net Book Agreement
160:
144:competition policy
140:
55:Net Book Agreement
1119:978-82-7081-097-0
967:978-0-444-50870-6
530:
529:
505:Repealed in 1974
444:Repealed in 1971
381:Repealed in 1972
157:, p. 749)).
1154:
1123:
1104:
1065:
1064:
1063:
1049:
1039:
1038:
1037:
1008:
998:
997:
996:
979:
970:
935:
934:
914:
908:
907:
905:
904:
895:. Archived from
889:
883:
882:
880:
878:
863:
857:
856:
849:
843:
842:
840:
839:
830:. Archived from
824:
818:
817:
809:
803:
802:
795:
789:
788:
781:
775:
774:
772:
771:
765:
758:
750:
744:
743:
736:
730:
729:
727:
726:
717:. Archived from
711:
705:
704:
693:
687:
686:
678:
494:Revoked in 1995
163:
136:
130:
124:
118:
74:presale services
51:Buchpreisbindung
17:Fixed book price
1162:
1161:
1157:
1156:
1155:
1153:
1152:
1151:
1142:Book publishing
1127:
1126:
1120:
1107:
1068:
1061:
1059:
1047:
1042:
1035:
1033:
1006:
1001:
994:
992:
982:
973:
968:
947:
944:
939:
938:
916:
915:
911:
902:
900:
891:
890:
886:
876:
874:
865:
864:
860:
851:
850:
846:
837:
835:
826:
825:
821:
811:
810:
806:
797:
796:
792:
783:
782:
778:
769:
767:
763:
756:
752:
751:
747:
738:
737:
733:
724:
722:
713:
712:
708:
695:
694:
690:
680:
679:
675:
670:
624:
572:
535:
370:Law since 2007
348:Law since 1996
205:Law since 2000
194:Law since 2001
138:
134:
132:
128:
126:
122:
120:
116:
109:
93:
12:
11:
5:
1160:
1158:
1150:
1149:
1147:Price controls
1144:
1139:
1129:
1128:
1125:
1124:
1118:
1105:
1086:10.1086/466564
1070:Telser, Lester
1066:
1040:
1017:(3): 351–365,
999:
980:
971:
966:
943:
940:
937:
936:
909:
884:
858:
844:
819:
804:
790:
776:
745:
731:
706:
703:on 2006-06-21.
688:
672:
671:
669:
666:
652:According to (
647:Fjeldstad 2001
623:
620:
619:
618:
615:
612:
609:
606:
597:According to (
571:
568:
534:
531:
528:
527:
525:
522:
518:
517:
514:
511:
507:
506:
503:
500:
496:
495:
492:
489:
488:United Kingdom
485:
484:
482:
479:
478:Czech Republic
475:
474:
472:
469:
465:
464:
453:
450:
446:
445:
442:
439:
435:
434:
432:
429:
425:
424:
422:
419:
415:
414:
412:
409:
405:
404:
401:
398:
394:
393:
390:
387:
383:
382:
379:
376:
372:
371:
368:
365:
361:
360:
357:
354:
350:
349:
346:
343:
339:
338:
335:
332:
328:
327:
323:
320:
316:
315:
312:
309:
305:
304:
301:
298:
294:
293:
291:
288:
284:
283:
280:
277:
273:
272:
269:
266:
262:
261:
258:
255:
251:
250:
247:
244:
240:
239:
236:
233:
229:
228:
225:
222:
218:
217:
214:
211:
207:
206:
203:
200:
196:
195:
192:
189:
185:
184:
181:
178:
174:
173:
170:
167:
137: No Data.
133:
127:
121:
115:
108:
105:
92:
89:
85:minimum prices
81:European Union
59:United Kingdom
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1159:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1134:
1132:
1121:
1115:
1111:
1106:
1103:
1099:
1095:
1091:
1087:
1083:
1079:
1075:
1071:
1067:
1057:
1054:(in French),
1053:
1046:
1041:
1032:
1028:
1024:
1020:
1016:
1012:
1005:
1000:
990:
986:
981:
977:
972:
969:
963:
959:
955:
951:
946:
945:
941:
932:
928:
924:
920:
913:
910:
899:on 2008-10-07
898:
894:
888:
885:
872:
868:
862:
859:
854:
848:
845:
834:on 2014-07-23
833:
829:
823:
820:
815:
808:
805:
800:
794:
791:
786:
780:
777:
766:on 2009-07-13
762:
755:
749:
746:
741:
735:
732:
721:on 2009-05-27
720:
716:
710:
707:
702:
698:
692:
689:
684:
677:
674:
667:
665:
663:
659:
658:Ringstad 2004
655:
654:Fishwick 2005
650:
648:
644:
643:Ringstad 2004
639:
637:
633:
632:Fishwick 2005
629:
628:Ringstad 2004
621:
616:
613:
610:
607:
604:
603:
602:
600:
595:
592:
588:
584:
579:
577:
569:
566:
562:
560:
556:
555:externalities
552:
548:
544:
543:Ringstad 2004
540:
532:
526:
523:
520:
519:
515:
512:
509:
508:
504:
501:
498:
497:
493:
490:
487:
486:
483:
480:
477:
476:
473:
470:
467:
466:
462:
458:
454:
451:
448:
447:
443:
440:
437:
436:
433:
430:
427:
426:
423:
420:
417:
416:
413:
410:
407:
406:
402:
399:
396:
395:
391:
388:
385:
384:
380:
377:
374:
373:
369:
366:
363:
362:
358:
355:
352:
351:
347:
344:
341:
340:
336:
333:
330:
329:
324:
321:
318:
317:
313:
310:
307:
306:
302:
299:
296:
295:
292:
289:
286:
285:
281:
278:
275:
274:
270:
267:
264:
263:
259:
256:
253:
252:
248:
245:
242:
241:
237:
234:
231:
230:
226:
223:
220:
219:
215:
212:
209:
208:
204:
201:
198:
197:
193:
190:
187:
186:
182:
179:
176:
175:
168:
165:
164:
158:
156:
151:
149:
145:
113:
106:
104:
101:
99:
90:
88:
86:
82:
77:
75:
71:
67:
62:
60:
56:
52:
49:
45:
42:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
18:
1109:
1077:
1073:
1060:, retrieved
1055:
1051:
1034:, retrieved
1014:
1010:
993:, retrieved
988:
975:
949:
942:Bibliography
922:
912:
901:. Retrieved
897:the original
887:
875:. Retrieved
870:
861:
847:
836:. Retrieved
832:the original
822:
807:
793:
779:
768:. Retrieved
761:the original
748:
734:
723:. Retrieved
719:the original
709:
701:the original
691:
682:
676:
651:
640:
625:
596:
580:
573:
564:
536:
152:
141:
102:
94:
78:
63:
27:. It allows
16:
15:
877:27 February
583:Telser 1960
510:Switzerland
331:Netherlands
210:South Korea
70:blockbuster
37:booksellers
23:applied to
1131:Categories
1080:: 86–105,
1062:2009-06-12
1036:2009-06-12
995:2009-06-12
903:2009-06-12
838:2019-12-17
770:2009-06-12
725:2009-06-12
685:: 237–238.
668:References
662:Rouet 2007
547:Rouet 2007
533:Assessment
297:Luxembourg
29:publishers
1102:154443904
1031:153493495
591:free-ride
521:Venezuela
403:On study
375:Australia
188:Argentina
91:Principle
33:retailers
574:Several
353:Slovenia
342:Portugal
172:Comment
46:and the
44:Lang Law
1058:: 33–44
630:) and (
455:The UK
449:Ireland
438:Finland
418:Estonia
386:Belgium
364:Croatia
265:Hungary
221:Denmark
199:Austria
177:Germany
166:Country
57:in the
1116:
1100:
1094:724814
1092:
1029:
964:
499:Sweden
468:Poland
408:Canada
397:Brazil
319:Norway
308:Mexico
254:Greece
243:France
135:
129:
123:
117:
48:German
41:French
1098:S2CID
1090:JSTOR
1048:(PDF)
1027:S2CID
1007:(PDF)
764:(PDF)
757:(PDF)
287:Japan
276:Italy
232:Spain
107:Scope
25:books
1114:ISBN
991:: 87
962:ISBN
879:2018
1082:doi
1019:doi
954:doi
927:doi
389:yes
367:yes
345:yes
334:yes
322:yes
311:yes
300:yes
290:yes
279:yes
268:yes
257:yes
246:yes
235:yes
224:yes
213:yes
202:yes
191:yes
180:yes
169:FBP
1133::
1096:,
1088:,
1076:,
1050:,
1025:,
1015:10
1013:,
1009:,
987:,
960:,
921:.
869:.
524:no
513:no
502:no
491:no
481:no
471:no
463:.
452:no
441:no
431:no
421:no
411:no
400:no
378:no
356:no
61:.
1122:.
1084::
1078:3
1056:2
1021::
956::
933:.
929::
906:.
881:.
855:.
841:.
816:.
801:.
773:.
742:.
728:.
641:(
626:(
96:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
