Liber International Book Fair focuses on e-reading as business expansion and challenge

Barcelona (ACN).- The president of the Federació de Gremis d'Editors d'Espanya (FGEE), Pedro de Andrés, announced a strategic plan for the publishing industry to face new business models. He made the announcement yesterday during the ‘Liber 2010’ Book Fair in Barcelona. The fair gathered around 700 editorials from 14 different countries. The Minister for Culture and Media, Joan Manuel Tresserras, said that despite the fact that the editorial sector “has resisted the crisis well”, it is necessary for it to “position itself in the avant-garde of the crisis in order to drive it to the most convenient destination”. The Minister welcomed the guest of honour country for the fair, Puerto Rico.

Pedro de Andrés announced a strategic plan to bring the publishing industry up to date with new business models. The plan was designed and agreed upon by editors, booksellers, distributors and other professionals in the sector. It will soon be proposed to Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

The plan asks the Spanish Government to set aside fiscal measures to support the book industry. It also asks for a 4% reduction in the VAT for downloading e-books and other e-material. Moreover, the Spanish book sector is calling for an amendment to the Intellectual Property Law, stressing that the threat lies in digital piracy, not in electronic books.

'Liber 2010', the most important place for Spanish literature

From the 29th of September to the 1st of October, the Gran Via Venue of the Fira de Barcelona is hosting the book fair ‘Liber 2010’. The international fair is one of the most important on a worldwide scale for Spanish language literature. The books sector generated over 3,110 million euros for the Spanish state last year.

So far, the fair has gathered around 700 editorials and businesses from 14 different countries and over 600 potential buyers from 78 different countries including Germany, Argentina, Canada, China, France, Morocco, Mexico, Portugal, Taiwan and Russia.

Digital Books

'Liber 2010' focuses on electronic devices such as the Ipad and e-book tablets and the promotion of books through social networking sites and cell phones. The fair is also hosting debates among professionals on future opportunities for the books sector.