The Publishers Association

In the last year, the PA has worked on a wide range of issues, events and other deliverables on behalf of the publishing industry.

To follow is a snapshot of the PA's activities in 2008:  

• Seeking to ensure that publicly funded content like BBC Bitesize does not encroach on members markets and to align policies for curriculum change through subject panels.
   
• Defending copyright from multiple attacks both domestically and within Europe, thereby ensuring that the bedrock of intellectual property law on which on our industry rests still enables a return for those taking commercial risks on content.
   
• Acting to protect members territorial copyright from infringements from Amazon Marketplace and other similar sites.
   
• Working with the Government in both the UK and Europe with a view to the reducing the threat of peer-to-peer file sharing.
   
• Engaging with debates on Open Access and the dynamics of the scholarly market.
   
• Driving powerful campaigns against piracy and counterfeiting domestically. Our most recent prosecution resulted in a 21-month sentence for pirating audiobooks. Furthermore, in key overseas markets like India and China, where we organise raids on strategic targets with local enforcement authorities.

In addition to the above, the PA has provided unique and comprehensive statistics on our members’ markets. We have also been praised for making complicated issues of real importance easy to understand; for helping members to make the most of digital opportunities; and for driving cross-industry environmental programmes.

In the coming months we plan to redouble our efforts on many of the issues outlined above but additionally we intend to:

• Introduce a new ‘copyright infringement portal’ to target infringing websites and associated services.
   
• Work on the US Google deal, which is one of the most complex legal settlements that has ever been agreed, explaining to members what decisions they now need to make and taking whatever collective action is required to protect members’ interests.
   
• Focus on our smaller members needs and significantly enhance the information and services available to them.
   
• Continue constructive engagement with the Government on digital agendas, ensuring that as copyright continues to evolve it does not do so in ways which destroy our markets or prevent new business models from emerging and competing with each other.
   
• Further develop our narrative around the value of publishing to the UK in economic, social, scientific, educational and cultural terms, to support both our public affairs agendas and our work on diversity.
   
• Work to support members’ exports into new and established markets by providing comprehensive market information, assisting with attendance at trade fairs, and leading trade missions; and renew our strategy on piracy in key overseas territories.