General Election 2019: PA and SoA call for action on copyright and reading tax

The Publishers Association and the Society of Authors have welcomed promises of future investment in the creative industries by the major political parties in their manifestos but have called for more work to be done on copyright, removal of the reading tax and ensuring access to Europe post-Brexit.

The SoA said it was “disappointed” that none of the manifestos addressed the campaign to remove VAT on e-books or committed to how copyright law would be protected after leaving the EU, while the PA emphasised ensuring “maximum possible access to Europe” post-Brexit remained at the forefront of its lobbying efforts, as voters prepare to go to the polls on Thursday 12th December.

Stephen Lotinga, c.e.o. for the PA, said: “We’re pleased that all the major parties have recognised the huge importance to the country of supporting the creative industries, increasing funding for education, and investment in research and development.

“That said, this election is about Brexit and it remains the case that publishing needs whoever wins to provide the maximum possible access to Europe as our largest export market. We will continue to make that case to the next government as soon as they are elected.”

Nicola Solomon, chief executive of the SoA, also said it was “reassuring to see most of the major parties at least acknowledge the value of the creative industries”, after Labour and the Conservatives respectively committed to £1bn and £250 million in cultural funding. 

However, she continued, it “takes more than the promise of a pot of gold to nurture a thriving creative landscape”, proceeding to call for “long-term policy commitments that shape the environment in which creative practitioners work: policies that encourage innovation instead of putting up barriers; that protect creators’ rights not overlook them”.

“We were disappointed that none of the manifestos make a commitment to enact the European Copyright Directive into UK law, despite the UK having contributed to it so extensively,” she said.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have pledged to review the copyright framework, she noted, which could present opportunities for consultation, but the Conservatives and others “don’t mention copyright at all,” she said.

Likewise the SoA said it was “disappointing to see no mention of reducing VAT on ebooks to 0%” – particularly given the cross-party support from MPs it has observed for its Axe the Reading campaign with the PA.

This week marks a year since the government had the power to remove VAT on digital publications, according to the PA, which has calculated since 4th December 2018 this tax has cost the British consumer over £200 million. This is despite it being a long-held principle of the UK government that it does not tax reading, learning and knowledge, the PA said.

“It’s been a year since the government has had the power to remove VAT on digital publications. In that time 18 EU member states have reduced their VAT on ebooks and audiobooks in line with VAT on printed books, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The UK is falling behind,” said Lotinga. “Zero-rating digital publications is a change which will benefit consumers as well as authors, publishers and the wider UK economy. Reading is a social good, regardless of whether we read pixels or ink. That’s why we’re calling on the government to stick to its principles of not taxing knowledge by acting urgently to axe the reading tax.”

The SoA said there were “positive commitments” in many of the major parties’ manifestos, however – “around arts education, funding that could help support libraries, as well as some ambition to build a fairer benefits system and environment for freelance workers”.

Solomon said: “It’s a start. None of these manifestos is a done deal. All of them include a handful of unlocked doors for us to nudge at when the time comes.”