Australia’s print industry faces a drastic drop in annual revenue and 500 direct job losses across the country if the Government implements the Productivity Commission’s report on copyright restrictions for the parallel importation of books.
 
National Secretary of the AMWU Print Division, Steve Walsh said the union was concerned Australian printers would lose out to China in the push to remove all copyright restrictions from the industry.
 
 “Australia’s printing industry is alive and well, but to implement a rule that removes the preferential ability to print and reprint books on Australian soil would tear a hole in the heart of the industry.
 
“Losing the copyright restrictions that currently exist would see a reduction of $70 to $80 million per in annual revenue, at a time when the Australian economy needs to retain that revenue and stimulate growth.
 
“The AMWU is very concerned that a direct result of this change would be the loss of 500 jobs lost, something that neither the sector nor the country, needs.
 
“We urge the government not to implement a change to trade policy that would result in job losses of this scale.
 
“As the book printing competitors who would benefit from the lack of copyright restrictions are located overseas, in developing countries such as China, we would also see a far greater carbon footprint and irresponsible environmental costs to importing greater quantities of books printed overseas.
 
“We are proud of our Australian Book Printing trade, but it faces a serious threat from the Productivity Commission’s plan to rob it of the very copyright restriction that ensures its success, said Mr Walsh.