11/11/09

The ASA congratulates  its members and our colleagues in the Australian publishing industry in their  united, sustained and ultimately successful campaign to retain territorial  copyright.

“The ASA membership has once again demonstrated its quiet  strength,” ASA Executive Director Dr Jeremy Fisher declared. “Our members have  been constantly telephoning and writing to their parliamentary representatives  pointing out how the removal of territorial copyright would destroy  Australia’s literary culture and publishing industry. Their persistence has  been rewarded. Our leaders have listened. Today’s announcement by Competition  Minister Craig Emerson that the parallel importations restriction in our  Copyright Act will remain unchanged is a clear victory for Australia’s  literary creators.”

Dr Fisher also acknowledged that the Australian  publishing industry was facing significant pressures and authors needed to  bear these in mind.

“Minister Emerson correctly highlights the fact  that e-books and digital technology are having an impact on the Australian  publishing industry,” Dr Fisher said. “The ASA welcomes change. We constantly  seek new means to increase authors’ incomes. We are currently in discussions  relating to fair contracts for authors with regard to e-books and products  such as Kindle. We have also taken an active role in the US-based Google Book  Settlement, which will see authors being able to pursue income streams for  out-of-print works. The ASA will always seek improved income streams for its  members in both print and digital forms.”

Dr Fisher has announced  that he will leave the ASA on December 11 to take up the position of Senior  Lecturer in Writing at the University of New  England.