The Association of Canadian Publishers’ Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2023 Budget makes the following three recommendations:
- Implement the Minister of Canadian Heritage’s mandate letter commitment to support Canadian authors and book publishers by increasing funding for the Canada Book Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Public Lending Right Program, on a permanent basis.
- Implement market-based solutions that encourage fair remuneration of rights-holders for use of copyright protected work through reform of the Copyright Act. As committed in Budget 2022, ensure that the Act protects all creators and copyright holders and that the educational publishing industry is sustainable.
- Enforce the Revised Foreign Investment Policy in Book Publishing and Distribution, with more meaningful assessment of “net benefit to Canada.” Keep our book industry Canadian and put Canadian-owned publishers first.
The long-term repercussions of the pandemic on our sector are becoming better understood. Response to uncertainty in traditional revenue streams, vulnerable supply chains, and myriad sales and marketing challenges require resilience, agility, and innovation to confront. These characteristics are inherent to independent publishers, who are experienced in adapting to challenging market conditions. However, given significant and intersecting challenges, a combination of government policy intervention and strategic investment in publisher-led initiatives is essential to protecting existing publishing infrastructure and stimulating sales, so that the industry can thrive.