The federal government has decided to continue the existing policy on parallel importation of books.
This is disappointing as it puts the interests of producers ahead of consumers. It’s hard to see how this benefits consumers.
It’s also difficult to see how this is different from many of the issues dealt with since the 80s or earlier, such as tariffs. What is it that makes the book industry so special as to require state-mandated subsidies from consumers?
Update: Joshua Gans decries the decision, while Mark Bahnisch takes a contrary view.
