Why should the book Fair Trade rules be promulgated?

Recently, the Chinese Publishers Association, the Chinese Publishing industry association, China Xinhua Bookstore Association issued the "Book Fair Trading Rules", the book promotion link made clear provisions: not cheap dumping new books, not to carry out any form of low prices (lower than the normal book publishing cost price) competition and bidding. For the publication of new books within one year, enter the retail market, according to the book Calibration price sales, online bookstore or membership system sales, enjoy no less than 85 percent discount margin.

The industry was in an uproar over the rules. "Do not pay attention to improve the quality of books, not to solve the problem of high prices, relying on monopolistic means to seize profits, this road will not go far." "Some netizens have so expressed their views on the rule.

Violating the rules will be punished.

So why should the Book of Fair trade rules be promulgated? Is this rule mandatory?

"Understanding the background does not know that the purpose of the rules, in essence, is not a knowledge of the online people unanimously opposed." Huang, Executive Secretary of China Publishing Workers ' Association, said in an interview with our correspondent.

Huang said publishing house in the establishment of book prices, must take into account the paper costs, printing costs, transport costs, wholesalers profit, retailer profits, publishing house profits, and many other aspects, if the dealer to set a very low discount, publishing house will be damaged, in order to survive, have to improve the price of books, consumers are ultimately

"One of the main purposes of the rules is to crack down on" high priced, low discounts "to deceive consumers, and to promote the publishing industry to form a reasonable price system. "Huang said.

"Book Fair Trading Rules" is a regulation issued by the Press and publication administration. It is not a law, so it will not involve sentencing and fines. But the relevant units will be sanctioned after violating the rules. "As for how to sanction," Huang said, "There will be detailed provisions that words can explain clearly." ”

The 30th rule of the Book Fair Trade Rules stipulates: "These rules shall be binding on the suppliers and distributors of the whole country engaged in book trading activities." ”

"The 14th article of the Antimonopoly Act prohibits the operator from reaching a monopoly agreement with the trading counterpart on the content of the minimum price for resale of goods to a third person", and the book Fair trade rules are in fact part of such agreements, industry associations, Agreement between the operator publishing house and the transaction relative to the online bookstore on the minimum price of 85 percent for resale of goods to a third person consumer. Zhang, a PhD student at Guanghua Law School, Zhejiang University, told reporters that the rules on fair trade in books violate the relevant provisions of the Anti-Monopoly law.

"Not operable"

Dangdang to the media response shows that, in no less than the cost, does not violate the "anti-unfair competition law" under the premise of the commercial enterprise independent pricing, to give customers the biggest concessions. The publication of the new book in a year of 30% of the overall sales of Dangdang, of which half the price is less than 85 percent, such as the implementation of the "85 percent limit discount order", this part of the book sales will be affected. Under the premise that some conditions are not uniform at present, Dangdang thinks that the rules of Book Fair Trading are not operable.

Excellent network related staff said that if a customer put forward in strict accordance with the "Book Fair Trade Rules" stipulated that no less than 85 percent of the minimum price to buy books, excellence will meet the requirements of customers.

"The relevant details of the current rules have not been issued, we will await the introduction of the rules after the implementation." Dangdang said.

The introduction of the book Fair Trading Rules is not only a large number of online bookstores expressed opposition, most netizens and readers of this rule also expressed resistance.

Tencent launched the "85 percent limit if it really implemented, you will go to buy books" vote, the results show: only 15% of the Internet users choose to go to the physical bookstore, 85% of the Internet users chose the online bookstore.

Selected entity Bookstore Part of the Netizen said, to the physical bookstore is entirely due to a reading of the feeling, and price-independent. In fact, in addition to cheap, online shopping because of its convenience and other characteristics have indeed been deeply rooted.

"This is a special, ridiculous ' trade protectionism '." It seems to be in ' anti-dumping ', which is actually ' protecting the monopoly '. "Some netizens have shown a clear dissatisfaction.

"Online sales of books, love concessions how much discount on how much, this is the market behavior, this is your pipe it?" Do consumers agree with you? Will the market recognise it? "For the introduction of the rules, a netizen said."

The publishers said to reporters: "There is no relevant regulations to limit the prices of books, these things should not be stipulated that this is a commercial behavior, and not the national strategic goods, why should the administration to stipulate it?" "It must be difficult to implement this rule," he said. ”

Publishers, physical bookstores benefit

For the publication of the Rules on Fair trade, the publishers concerned that the publishers have no impact. "Sales discounts are high and our shipments can be higher." "These people told reporters that their books on sales must be higher than the physical bookstore, because the high profit category of teaching materials, teaching aids are mostly sold in the physical bookstore, there are few online bookstores." Other market-type books, the entity bookstore should occupy 80% of the market share.

"Book Fair Trading Rules" in the short term may have a certain impact on the network bookstore, but in the long run, there is no impact. After the Internet bookstore is affected, the publishing house will also be affected by some, but relatively small. This kind of influence mainly manifests in the literature and the Life Class book, has little influence to the management class book. Management books, whether online bookstores or physical bookstores are sold relatively high. said the person.

Another publisher said the rules would make it profitable for Xinhua and publishers. This rule, if it can be implemented smoothly, is a good news for publishers, because the rules also mentions that the time limit for the rebate can not be more than six months. Before the publishing house to the Xinhua bookstore, Xinhua Bookstore after six months to the knot, publishing house at the same time to bear an average of 20% return rate. In the future, the publishing house will be operated by the company, so this rule also provides some protection for the publishing house.

Private bookstore of the large Peng Fei Li, the relevant personage shows that the online bookstore on its sales caused a certain pressure, so the book Fair Trading rules of the limit clause, for Yu Pengfei a force is indeed good news.

In fact, as early as August 2009, there are media reports, because the online bookstore competition makes book profit thinning and store rents rise, the country has a number of private bookstores due to arrears of wages or arrears of rents have closed or been acquired. There are also reports that many small private bookstores have indeed been seriously threatened by low discounts on online bookstores, and that if they are implemented, the rules on fair trade in books will change their current operating status.

"Now used to buy books from the internet a lot of people, the traditional large bookstores if they feel that they have been robbed business, can dig deep into their potential, expand market resources, enhance their competitiveness, rather than borrow the name of a trade association, to carry out their own profit will." The introduction of this rule, is obviously weak. "There are people in the industry who have expressed their views.