PA year in review

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 2007:
  • The PA remains closely engaged domestically, in Europe and internationally across a range of critical issues. The promotion of copyright has been central in 2007, with the publication of the Gowers review of Intellectual Property law, which incorporated almost all of the points put on the industry's behalf by the PA. Work on implementation continues into 2008, with a consultation due early in the New Year
  • The PA is continuing to work closely with government officials regarding the Creative Economy Programme
  • The PA continues to play its part in the attempt to maintain an evidence-based perspective on calls for Open Access to research publications
  • A new three-year international anti-piracy strategy has been approved In 2007, the PA has been active in defending territorial rights, in particular of trade publishers, and will continue to work closely with them in this area
  • The issue of VAT has recently become active again and we have secured the continuation of a zero rate for printed matter (electronic content remains VAT-able at the full rate of 17.5%)
  • 2007 has seen the launch of version 1.0 of the Automated Content Access Protocol (ACAP), to which the PA has contributed. This technology allows those with online repositories to grant or deny rights and permissions in an automated way. It is a critical step forward in the formation of potential new relationships between publishers and Search Engines
  • A new Environmental Action Group has been formed with the Booksellers Association, and at the time of writing is busy coordinating the industry’s efforts in this critical area, both at a strategic level and also at a more practical, day-to-day level Other joint work with the Booksellers, through the PA/BA Liaison Group, has resulted in flash sales data being provided via Nielsen; a system of embargo dates being agreed; and further work on a number of supply chain issues such as returns
  • The second of the new-style Statistics Year Books was produced in 2007, and like its predecessor has been very well received.This book not only provides invaluable market snapshot and longer-term trend data, but is also of vital importance in terms of supporting our representative work at policy-making levels both in the UK and Europe
  • With regard to educational matters, the PA has been very busy this year arranging meetings for publishers with the agencies who will deliver wide ranging revisions to the Primary and Secondary national strategies and the 14 to 19 national curriculum. This work will continue into 2008
  • We have upgraded our survey of educational publishers' sales, which is now available monthly by subject for each of KS1-4 and AS/A2, with digital sales broken out
  • On the broader textbooks agenda, we ran our Open Books Open Minds campaign for the third year in succession and planning has already started for the 2008 campaign
  • As you will be aware, the PA now has a new website.  Work on this continues but what is there today is clearly a significant enhancement to the previous version. In time the new site will form a core part of our communication with members, developing into a repository of vital and valuable information for and about the industry