La Fédération européenne et internationale des libraires note avec satisfaction les conclusions de l’enquête menée par la Commission européenne dans le secteur du commerce électronique, et en particulier en ce qui concerne le blocage géographique.

Kyra Dreher, directrice générale de la Commission des libraires pour le Boersenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels et co-présidente d’EIBF de déclarer : « J’apprécie à sa juste valeur que la Commission comprenne que le blocage géographique relève de décisions stratégiques d’entreprises qui ne souhaitent pas vendre par-delà les frontières, et aussi que la Commission reconnaisse qu’un tel comportement, de la part d’entreprises qui ne sont pas en position dominante sur le marché, ne relève pas du droit européen de la concurrence. Le marché du livre numérique est un marché fragile, à très faibles marges, et vendre au-delà des frontières n’est tout simplement pas rentable pour la grande majorité des libraires numériques. Un récent eurobaromètre chiffre par ailleurs le marché potentiel à 1 %, à savoir ceux des citoyens européens qui souhaitent acheter des livres numériques en provenance de l’étranger. »

Tim Godfray, directeur général de l’association des libraires de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande ajoute: « Je suis ravi que la Commission reconnaisse que certaines ententes entre fournisseurs et distributeurs peuvent restreindre la concurrence entre les détaillants. Moins de concurrence signifie moins de choix pour les consommateurs européens. Une concurrence saine entre distributeurs de livres électroniques est garante d’une offre riche et variée, ce que l’EIBF a toujours prôné. Les consommateurs pâtissent du manque de concurrence sur le marché du livre numérique quand certaines multinationales profitent de leur position dominante pour imposer des conditions commerciales intenables à leurs fournisseurs. Inversément, les consommateurs et les acteurs commerciaux ont tout à gagner d’une offre riche et diversifiée de livres numériques lorsque les détaillants travaillent dans un climat de concurrence saine et loyale. »

The European and International Booksellers Federation has noted with satisfaction the conclusions of the Commission’s inquiry in the e-commerce sector about geo-blocking.

Dr. Kyra Dreher, Managing Director Retail Booksellers Committee, Boersenverein des Deutschen Buchhandelsand and EIBF co-President commented: “I strongly appreciate that the Commission understands that geo-blocking is based on business decisions from companies who do not want to sell abroad and that the Commission reckons that such behaviour by a non-dominant company falls outside the scope of EU competition law. The e-book market is an uncertain market with extremely low profitability and selling across borders is just not profitable for the vast majority of e-booksellers, when the potential market is in the region of 1% of European citizens who want to buy e-books across borders, according to a recent Eurobarometer.

Commented Tim Godfray, Chief Executive of The Booksellers Association of the UK & Ireland: “I am delighted that the Commission acknowledges that in some cases agreements between suppliers and distributors may restrict competition between retailers. Reduced competition means reduced choice for European consumers. Healthy competition between e-book distributors guarantees a robust, diverse retail landscape, which is what EIBF has always advocated for. It is not good for consumers when there is little room for challengers on the e-book market because single companies abuse a dominant market position to impose unfair business conditions on providers. Conversely, consumers and societies benefit from a rich and varied e-book offer when retailers are operating on a level playing field and there is healthy competition among them”.

Today the European Commission has published its Communication on the future of the European copyright framework. We are digital sectors at heart, and hope the Communication marks the start of an informed, constructive dialogue about how copyright should continue to enable the creative and cultural sectors to thrive in Europe – to the benefit of rights holders, audiences and users alike.

Creativity and cultural expression are a vital part of Europe’s identity.  Copyright is the most effective enabler for the creation, financing, production and dissemination of cultural works and for offering consumers the high-quality and diverse content they love. Copyright has also made it possible to facilitate Europeans’ access to legal offers online, and we welcome the Commission’s intention to further support this market development.

In this spirit, we call upon the European Commission to take into account the views of the seven million people who make up the European creative and cultural sectors in Europe. Helping the creative and cultural sectors to grow and to drive job creation requires proposals that respect the rights of creators and their business partners. We look forward to working constructively with the European Commission, the Member States and the European Parliament to find appropriate solutions where needed, while leaving room for market-driven initiatives to lead the way.

Our members come from across the creative and cultural sectors, and are brought together by their belief in creativity, creative works and content, cultural diversity and freedom of expression. Here’s how they reacted:

Grégoire Polad, Director General of ACT, said:

“Today the Commission has published a proposal  for a Regulation on portability aiming at allowing subscribers that have paid for subscriptions in their Member State of residence to continue to access that content when temporarily travelling to another member state. We look forward to continuing our work with the Institutions to develop from this blueprint a workable solution that is fit for purpose.”​

Benoît Ginisty, Managing Director of FIAPF, the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, said:

“Film producers are excited about the opportunities offered by digital technology – we are already deeply engaged in the digital environment.  In the digital economy, licensing distribution rights by territory remains fundamental to the financing, production and distribution of content not just in the EU, but worldwide. It is this freedom to co-produce between different countries and to pre-sell future distribution rights on an exclusive basis to a wide range of distributors in several countries that enables us to finance a vivid European film production and to maximise film distribution to Europe’s culturally diverse audiences.” 

 David Kavanagh, Executive Officer, Federation of Screenwriters in Europe, said:

“Authors are at the roots of the creative industries’ value chain. We are hopeful that the European Commission will promote a legal environment with fair remuneration of all right holders safeguarding creativity and ensuring the continued investments which are vital to Europe’s economy.”

 Anne Bergman, Director of the Federation of European Publishers, said:

“Exceptions to copyright need to be just that – exceptions, not the rule. It’s a positive sign that the Commission says it will take market specificities and existing practices into account regarding exceptions to copyright. The current system enables respect for cultural and national diversity, flexibility and an appropriate degree of EU harmonization and has led to more creative works being available than ever before. Licences can and are already addressing many issues and any new exception would therefore have to be justified by very strong evidence of market failure  with account taken to incentives towards investments by writers, publishers and booksellers in order to ensure the creation, publishing and distribution of new books.”

Helen Smith, Executive Chair and Secretary General of IMPALA, said:

“The music sector has made it possible for millions of music lovers throughout Europe to access a large and diversified offer whenever they want and on any device they choose. To maximise this, all online platforms offering copyright-protected content need to compete on a level playing field – copyright rules in particular need to apply to all players who are actively involved in distributing copyrighted works.”

 Nick Yapp, President of the European Writers’ Council, said:

“On behalf of over 150,000 authors, writers and translators, the European Writers’ Council welcomes the opportunity to take part in the discussions planned by the European Commission. The importance of the protection of copyright cannot be overestimated. It is an essential ingredient in the process that enables creativity to survive and prosper in any society, and has produced the treasury of European Culture. New exceptions to this protection therefore have to be justified by very strong evidence and with account taken to incentives towards investments by Writers, Publishers and Booksellers in order to ensure the creation, production and distribution of new books.”

 Mathieu Moreuil, Head of European Policy of Premier League, said:

“We are proud to provide millions of sports fans throughout Europe and the world with tailored content which matches specific tastes and preferences of each market – online or otherwise. Any dilution of territorial exclusivity could lead to pan-European licensing ultimately destroying that rich, culturally diverse content offer that we are all striving to create. The review of the Satellite and Cable Directive must be approached with great care and it should respect the contractual freedom and the territorial exclusivity which are key for a successful and sustainable future for the creative industries.”

Sylvie Fodor, Executive Director of CEPIC, said:

“Professional photographers and picture agencies work online as a matter of course, and rely on strong copyright protection to make their jobs possible. While the initiatives mentioned in the Communication aiming at a fairer distribution of the value generated on the Internet are to be welcomed, a number of proposed exceptions might further undermine the revenues or discriminate against a certain category of visual authors. What photography needs are strong enforcement measures or a realistic possibility to enforce rights against platforms who have built a business model on the free re-use of copyrighted content.”

David Sweeney, ISFE’s Senior Counsel, said:

“Video games and apps were born digital, and are by their very nature intellectual property. Without IP rights, they wouldn’t exist. As such, respect for intellectual property rights online is vital to the sector, which has flourished in the digital era.”

The European and International Booksellers Federation today announced its strong support to the decision by DG Competition in the European Commission to declare illegal the tax rulings that allowed big companies to avoid taxes in certain countries of the European Union.

Dr. Kyra Dreher, EIBF Co-President and Managing Director of the Retail Booksellers Committee, Boersenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, commented:

“I am delighted by this totally unprecedented decision. Local retailers who pay their taxes properly and therefore add value to their municipalities and the local communities can hardly compete with major international retailers practicing tax avoidance. Consumers and societies benefit when retailers are operating on a level playing field and there is healthy competition among them.”

“The European and International Booksellers Federation strongly believes that public policies should promote a competitive and fair business environment so that consumers can have access to a broad array of retailers and a wide range of books in all formats.”

“The more bookshops there are, the richer is the offering to consumers, who benefit from a variety of shopping opportunities and sales channels. In a robust, diverse retail landscape, consumers can choose to buy their books locally or online, in the high street or in specialized bookshops, and in the format of their choice. Clearly this is only possible when fair competition is guaranteed. The decision of Commissioner Vestager is a strong and very positive signal for the bookselling industry. EIBF dares hope that this will be the end of the privileged tax rates some multinationals have benefited from in the past.”

As members of a wide informal coalition of organisations from the creative sectors, which form an engine for economic growth and job creation, employing over 3.3% of the EU’s workforce and generating more than 4.2% of the EU’s GDP, we want to thank the many Members of the European Parliament who worked to improve the Own Initiative Report on the Implementation of the Infosoc Directive (Reda report). While not all of its elements are ideal, we welcome the fact that this non-binding report now stresses the need for convincing data and objective economic and legal analysis before any legislative initiative on copyright is undertaken.

Today in Paris, 21 January 2015, the EIBF is launching its #mynextread campaign. Bringing together booksellers in the EU and beyond, #mynextread is a multi-faceted campaign entirely developed at the initiative of EIBF aiming to energize the retail book sector and inspire a new generation of readers. Social media are where we are. And #mynextread is where bookshops and social media meet.

“Read what you want, when you want, in whatever format you want” is the #mynextread message. The goal is to promote access, choice and sustainability within the book trade.

Booksellers and readers have been put at the heart of the campaign and #mynextread is for them.

All booksellers, on an individual basis, are invited to join the campaign. Participation is free, and EIBF provides participants with free templates and personalized bookmarks with bookshop logos, bags and
tee-shirts with the form available http://eibf-booksellers.org/links

Readers are invited to spread the word through their social media accounts.

Available on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #mynextread accounts only ask to be fed by users’ reading experiences.

The formula is simple: take a selfie of your next read, share it online and spread the word!

So, what will be your next read? Share it on #mynextread.

The #mynextread campaign will help to equip EIBF to engage with EU decision makers in working
towards maintaining a vibrant bookselling sector in a dynamic, culturally diverse world.

Spread the word!

For further information: info@europeanbooksellers.eu
Or visit: www.mynextread.eu

La fédération européenne des libraires, – EIBF – a présenté sa nouvelle campagne #mynextread à Paris.

Fédérant les libraires de toute l’Europe et du monde entier, #mynextread est entièrement centré sur les réseaux sociaux ; la campagne est mise en place par l’EIBF afin de dynamiser l’image de la librairie et d’inspirer une nouvelle génération de lecteurs. Facebook, Twitter et Instagram offrent à #mynextread un espace où la librairie et les médias sociaux apprennent à s’apprivoiser.

“Pour que chacun puisse lire ce qu’il veut, quand il veut, dans le format de son choix “ est le message de #mynextread,

#mynextread est ouvert à tous : lecteurs et libraires sont au cœur de la campagne et invités à s’y rencontrer.

Tous les libraires de tout type et de toute provenance géographique y sont bienvenus et la participation est gratuite.
EIBF met effet gracieusement à disposition des libraires participants des modèles de marque-page, sacs et tee-shirt qu’elle se propose de personnaliser sans frais aux couleurs des librairies participantes, via le formulaire disponible sur http://eibf-booksellers.org/links

Pour les lecteurs, le principe est simple: prendre un selfie avec son livre, partager la photo en ligne et se passer le mot!

Disponibles sur Facebook, Twitter et Instagram les comptes #mynextread ne demandent qu’à vivre au travers des expériences de lecture et de partage des internautes

La campagne #mynextread se veut un outil moderne grâce auquel EIBF entend renouveler l’attention des instances européennes sur le secteur de la librairie, garant et reflet de la diversité culturelle européenne.

Alors, quel est votre prochain livre ? Partagez-le sur #mynextread.

Et surtout, passez-vous le mot!

Pour plus d’informations: info@europeanbooksellers.eu
Ou rendez-vous sur: www.mynextread.eu

John McNamee’s funeral took place today in PortLaoise in the presence of a considerable crowd.

EIBF was represented by Françoise Dubruille, Director, and Tim Godfray, CEO of the Booksellers Association of the UK & Ireland, and Member of the EIBF Executive Committee.

John was born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and moved to the Republic of Ireland early on in his career. He opened his first bookshop in Portlaoise, Laois Educational Supplies, in 1986 and a branch in Newbridge in 1988.

John won the admiration and respect of everyone with whom he worked. He was an indefatigable champion of bookselling and the promotion of reading.

In 1992 he joined the Irish Branch as a committee member and subsequently served as Secretary and Chairman of the branch. Between 2001 and 2003 he was the Irish co-ordinator of World Book Day activities and maintained his involvement in World Book Day in the years that followed.

He worked with Irish publishers on many children’s book festivals and ran a very successful children’s festival in County Laois for more than 6 years. He was involved in the launch of the “Buy a book for your local hospital” national campaign.

He was a member of the Council of the Booksellers Association of the UK & Ireland between 2002 and 2011.

John was elected President of the Laois Chamber of Commerce in 2005-2006 and in 2008, he opened the Eason bookshop in Portlaoise.

His European career took off in 2004, when he very successfully organised the memorable joint EBF-IBF conference in Killarney. He was then elected President of the European Booksellers Federation in 2005, a
position that he held until April 2014.  As president of the EBF, John never spared his energy in promoting the interests of booksellers and championing the role of the bookshop in the local community.  He made representations on behalf of the bookselling community in many European countries and beyond, including the US and Australia.  John McNamee will be remembered as a dedicated bookseller and dynamic advocate of the bookselling trade.

He was someone who was determined to make a difference and who inspired his colleagues with his
professionalism and enthusiasm.

EIBF director Françoise Dubruille said:

John McNamee led with passion, energy, and infectious commitment. He is a great loss to our industry. I have received hundreds of e-mails and phone calls in the last two days expressing the sadness and sympathy felt by so many who worked with him over the years. These messages are greatly appreciated by the bookselling community and we hope that they will bring some consolation to his family. Everybody misses a valued colleague and a good friend. We will cherish his memory and, in the sorrow of his passing, we take solace in recognising the contribution that he made to the business that he loved

C’est avec un profond chagrin que Kyra Dreher, Fabian Paagman et Jean-Luc Treutenaere, co-présidents de l’European & International Booksellers Federation doivent vous annoncer le décès soudain, le 4 janvier 2015, de John McNamee, le précédent Président.

John McNamee a été président de l’EBF, European booksellers Federation, de 2005 à Avril 2014.

Pendant toute cette période, il a gagné l’admiration et le respect de tous ceux avec qui il a travaillé. C’était un défenseur infatigable de la librairie et de la lecture.

John a été impliqué pendant des années dans le World Book Day et a inlassablement œuvré à faire connaître les joies de la lecture à tous les enfants.

En tant qu’entrepreneur local, il était en relation avec les équipes et les organisations de toute sa communauté, des écoles aux clubs sportifs, jusqu’aux maisons de retraite et bien au-delà ! Il croyait aux
valeurs de l’entreprise et à l’importance vitale de l’engagement dans la vie civile. Cela a toujours été son principal moteur.

Tous ceux qui ont travaillé avec lui ont rapidement compris et apprécié sa détermination à faire la différence. En tant que président de l’EBF, John a toujours dépensé une énergie folle pour défendre les intérêts des libraires et promouvoir le rôle des librairies dans les communautés locales.
John McNamee restera dans nos mémoires comme un libraire impliqué et un soutien dynamique au commerce du livre.

La directrice de l’EIBF, Françoise Dubruille a déclaré :

John McNamee était un meneur d’hommes plein de passion, d’énergie et complètement impliqué dans ce qu’il faisait. C’est une grande perte pour notre industrie, il me manquera, non seulement en tant que collègue, mais aussi en tant qu’ami.

Jean- Luc Treutenaere, co-président a rajouté :

John était non seulement un grand connaisseur de tous ses dossiers, mais c’était aussi quelqu’un qui mettait de l’humain dans toutes ses actions et qui ne perdait jamais le sens de l’essentiel : pour lui, le livre n’était pas qu’un métier, mais aussi un moyen de rendre les hommes meilleurs. Je suis fier d’avoir été son collègue et son ami.

Tous les membres de l’EIBF se rejoignent pour exprimer leur profonde sympathie à son épouse Betty, son fils Eoin et sa fille Mary.

Nous gardons sa mémoire et, dans le chagrin de son départ, le souvenir de son action nous éclaire encore.

Françoise Dubruille
Directrice