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The Law on the National Book Price Maintenance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Emmerich Volker
Emmerich Volker
Affiliation:
Dr. iur., Ordinary professor at the University of Bayreuth.
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Extract

The above lines were written by Karel van Miert, acting as the competent Commissioner for Competition in Brussels from 1993 to 1999. In short, unequivocal words, he describes the attitude of politicians, publishers and media to the dispute on the German and Austrian book price maintenance, realized in the German "Law for Safeguarding the National Book Price Maintenance" of 30 November 2000 and the Austrian "Federal Law on the Price Maintenance of Books". Both acts were aimed at rescuing the maintenance of book prices, after the expiration of the last transitional period for the adaptation to Article 81 EC granted to the publishers by the Commission.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Business Organization Law Review (EBOR) , Volume 2 , Issue 3-4 , September 2001 , pp. 553 - 567
Copyright
Copyright © T.M.C. Asser Press and the Authors 2001

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References

1 Stuttgart/München: Deutsche Verlagsanstalt 2000, p. 164-165.

2 BGBl 2000 I no. 52, p. 1634.

3 öBGBl. 2000 I no. 40.

4 See the reasons to the draft bill of the above law, Bundestags-Drucksache (BT-Dr.) 14 (2000)/3509, p. 4.

5 Karel van Miert, supra n. 1, pp. 144-165.

6 Wettbewerbspolitik in Netzstrukturen [Competition Policies in Net Structures], 13th Main Opinion, 1998/1999 (Baden-Baden: Nomos 2000) text numbers 687 et seq. (pp. 390 et seq.).

7 Letter of 29/7/1994, no. 07363-IV/34.657 (printed in BUCH 1994 brochure 16, p. 2 = Th. Hoffmann, , “Buchpreisbindung auf dem Prüfstand des Europarechts” [“Book Price Maintenance at the Test Bench of European Law”] GRUR [2000] 555, 562 fn. 75.Google Scholar

8 Letter of 28/6/1996 – IV/34.657.

9 K. van Miert, supra n. 1, pp. 152 et seq.

10 Ibid., pp. 159 et seq.

11 OJ [2000] C 162/25.

12 Notification of 10/6/2000, supra n. 11, para. 12.

13 Ibid., para. 13.

14 Explicitly K. van Miert, supra n. 1; Notification of 10/6/2000, supra n. 11, at p. 26, paras. 13 et seq.

15 BGBl. 2000 I, p. 1634.

16 See the overviews in: Monopolies Commission, 13th Main Opinion, supra n. 6, text numbers 667 et seq. (pp. 384 et seq.); Obert, A., Die Preisbindung im Buchhandel in Deutschland und im Vereinigten Königreich in der Sicht des europäischen Rechts [Price Maintenance in the Book Trade in Germany and in the UKfroom the Perspective of European Law] (Munich: Beck 2000)Google Scholar; Id., “Die Buchpreisbindung in Deutschland und im Vereinigten Königreich” [“Book Price Maintenance in Germany and in the UK”], GRURInt. [1999] 1017.Google Scholar

17 For details, see Emmerich, , Kartellrecht [Antitrust Law], 9th ed. (Munich: Beck 2001) § 14 (pp. 108 et seq.)Google Scholar; Id., in: Immenga/Mesmäcker, GWB, 3rd ed. (Munich: Beck 2001) § 15Google Scholar; Obert, Preisbindung im Buchhandel, supra n. 16,pp.49etseq.; Id., GRURInt. [1999] 1017Google Scholar, supra n. 16.

18 Emmerich, Kartellrecht [Antitrust Law], supra n. 17, § 14 1c (p. 110 f.); Id., in: Immenga/Mestmäcker, GWB, supra n. 17, § 15, at n. 8 et seq.

19 BGHZ 46, 74, at p. 78 = NJW [1967] 343 (to the original wording of the law); BkartA Tätigkeitsbericht 1962, p. 32; Bechtold, , GWB, 2nd ed. (Munich 1999) § 15 n. 7Google Scholar; Emmerich, in: Immenga/Mestmäcker, GWB, supra n. 17, § 15 marginal notes 11 et seq.; Klosterfelde/Metzlafff, in: Lange, /Bunte, , Kommentar zum deuschen und europäischen Kartellrecht [Commentary on the German and European Antitrust Law], vol. I, 9th ed. (Neuwied/ Berlin: Luchterhand 2001) § 15 n. 10 f.Google Scholar

20 Bundeskartellamt, , (BkartA) (Federal Antitrust Office), Tätigkeitsbericht [Activity Report] 1962, p. 58Google Scholar; 1964, p. 27; 1970, p. 77; Bechtold, Emmerich and Klosterfelde/Metzlaff, supra n. 19; Obert, Die Preisbindug im Buchhandel, supra n. 16, p. 143.

21 Reasons, Bundestags-Drucksache (BT-Dr.) 14 (2000)/3509, p. 4.Google Scholar

22 Sources: Monopolies Commission, 13th Main Opinion, supra n. 6, text numbers 661 et seq. (pp. 379 et seq.); Obert, Die Preisbindung im Buchhandel, supra n. 16, pp. 18 et seq.; to the economic analysis of the book market see, inter alia, Henning, H., Marktstruktur und Marktverhalten im deutschen Buchmarkt [Market Structures and Market Behaviour on the German Book Market] (Baden-Baden: Nomos 1998)Google Scholar; Stumpp, H., Die Preisbindung für Verlagserzeugnisse: Wettbewerbsbeschränkung oder Regulierung zur Beseitigung von Marktunvollkommenheiten? [Price Maintenance for Publications: Restriction of Competition or a Regulation for the Correction of Market Failures?] (Baden-Baden: Nomos 1999).Google Scholar

23 For the wording of the Collective Undertaking of 1974, which has been amended in 1979 and 2000 see in Franzen, , Die Preisbindung des Buchhandels [Price Maintenance of the Book Trade], 3rdd ed. (Munich: Beck 1987)Google Scholar text numbers 126 et seq. (pp. 133 et seq.).

24 No. A 5 para. 3 of the Collective Undertaking of 1974, printed in Franzen, ibid., text numbers 161 et seq. (pp. 154 et seq.).

25 See in particular BGH, LM no. 32 to § 1 GWB = NJW-RR [1986]259 = WuW/E BGH 2175; LM no. 18 to § 16 GWB (Bl. 2 f.) = NJW [1990] 1993 = WuW/E BGH 2615; to the criticism see LG Düsseldorf, WuW/E LG/AG 589; Emmerich, in: Immenga/ Mestmäcker, GWB, supra n. 16, § 15 n. 21; Id., Kartellrecht, supra n. 16, § 14, Id (p. III f.).

26 Blanke, /Kitz, , “Grenzüberschreitende Buchpreisbindung und europäisches Gemeinschafts-recht” [“Cross-Border Book Price Maintenance and European Community Law”], JZ [2000] 118, 121Google Scholar; Hoffmann, supra n. 7, at pp. 567 et seq.; Chr. Kirchner, , “Preisbindung für Verlags-erzeugnisse?” [“Price Maintenance for Publications?”], AfP [1999] 227Google Scholar; Thurnher, , “Halt oder fällt die Preisbindung für Bücher?” [“Can the Price Maintenance for Books be upheld?”], ÖBl. [1995] 155Google Scholar (however, positively to Art. 81 para. 3 EC); Differently Grosshardt, H., Die Preisbindung für Verlagserzeugnisse nach Europäischem Gemeinschaftsrecht [Price Maintenance for Publications under the Law of the European Community] (Diss. Konstanz 1995).Google Scholar

27 Fundamental BGHZ 142, 192 = NJW [1999] 3043; BGHZ 143, 232 = NJW [2000] 2504; hereto Emmerich, , “Unlauterer Wettbewerb” [“Unfair Competition”], in: 50 Jahre Bundes-gerichtshof Festgabe aus der Wissenschaft [50th Anniversary of the Federal Court, Festive Edition of Scientists], Vol. II (Munich: Beck 2000) 627, at pp. 634 et seq.Google Scholar; Id., in: Immenga/ Mestmäcker, GWB, supra n. 16, § 15 marginal numbers 103 et seq.

28 In detail see Emmerich, ibid.; Obert, Preisbindung im Buchhandel, supra n. 16, pp. 73 et seq.

29 See already Mestmäcker, , Europäisches Wettbewerbsrecht [European Competition Law] (Munich: Beck 1974) § 47 III 2/3 (pp. 586 et seq.).Google Scholar

30 Fundamental joined cases 43/82 and 63/82 VBVB/VBBB, [1984] ECR 19, at 65 et seq., paras. 44 et seq.; case 229/83 Leclerc, [1985] ECR 1, at 33, para. 19; case 243/83 Binon, [1985] ECR 2015, 2046 para. 44; Novalliance, Commission Decision of 4/12/1996, OJ [1997] L 47/11, 18.

31 BkartA, , Tätigkeitsbericht 1978, p. 84Google Scholar; Emmerich, in: Immenga/ Mestmäcker, GWB, supra n. 16, p. 143.

32 BGBl. 2000 I, p. 1634; to the legal situation in Austria see section 3 infra.

33 See the reasoning to the draft law, BT-Dr. 14 (2000)/3509, pp. 4 et seq.

34 Notification of 10/6/2000, supra n. 11, paras. 8,10, 13.

35 With the argument, that as an exception from the rule that re-importers are generally not bound to price fixing arrangements: Jungermann, , “Neues zur Preisbindung” [“What is new in price maintenance”], NJW [2000] 2172Google Scholar; Id., “Auch re-importierte Bücher sind der Preisbindung zugänglich” [“Re-imported Books may be equally subject to the price maintenance”], NJW [2000] 3189.Google Scholar

36 § 3 para. 4 of the Austrian Federal Law on the Price Maintenance for Books, ÖBGBl. 2000 I no. 45.

37 As a rule, intention cannot be proven.

38 Leclerc, supra n. 30, para. 17; case 355/85 Cognet, [1986] ECR 3231, 3240, para. 5, 3241, paras. 8 et seq.; Case C-9/99, Französische Buchpreisbinding [French Book Price Maintenance], 3/10/2000, WuW/E EuR 375, pp. 377 et seq. paras. 22 et seq.

39 For references, see supra n. 14

40 Leclerc, supra n. 30, at p. 35, para. 30.

41 Notification of 10/6/2000, supra n. 11, para. 13.

42 ÖBGBl. 2000 I no. 45.

43 Recently, the Monopolies Commission, 13th Main Opinion, supra n. 6, text numbers 677 et seq. (pp. 388 et seq.); Blanke/ Kitz, supra n. 26; Eilmannsberger, , “Zur EG-rechtlichen Zulässig-keit der Buchpreisbindung” [“Regarding the Compatibility of the Book Price Maintenance with EC Law”], ÖWBl. [1995] 105Google Scholar; H. Grosshardt, supra n. 26; Hoffmann, supra n. 7; Kirchner, supra n. 26; Obert, Die Preisbindung im Buchhandel, supra n. 16; Id., “Die Buchpreisbindung in Deutschland und im Vereinigten Konigreich”, supra n. 16; Thurnher, supra n. 26.

44 In detail see Emmerich, , “Art. 81 and 82 ECT”, in: Dauses, , Handbuch des EU-Wirtschafts-reclus [Handbook of the EC Economic Law] (Munich: Beck 2000)Google Scholar H I § 1 marginal note 34; Rehbinder, in: Immenga, / Mestmäcker, , EG-Wettbewerbsrecht [EC Competition Law], Vol. I (Munich: Beck 1997)Google Scholar Introduction I, marginal notes 31 et seq. (pp. 62 et seq.); Schüter, in: v.d. Groeben/ Thiesing/ Ehlermann, , EU/EG-Vertrag [EU/EC Treaty], Vol. II/I, 5th ed. (Baden-Baden: Nomos 1999)Google Scholar Art. 85 para. 1, marginal notes 163, 172 et seq. (pp. 229, 237 et seq.).

45 Case T-66/89 Publishers Association (Net Book Agreements), [1992] ECR II-1995, at pp. 2016 et seq., paras. 55 et seq.

46 Case C-360/92 P Publishers Association [1995] ECR 1-23, at pp. 67 et seq., paras. 25 et seq. = EuZW [1995] 180.

47 So especially Everling, , “Die Buchpreisbindung im deutschsprachigen Raum und europäisches Gemeinschaftsrecht”, in: Die Buchpreisbindung in europarechtlicher, ökonomischer und kulturhisrischer Sicht, Buchhandler-Vereinigung (Frankfurt a.M. 1997) 1, 38 et seq.Google Scholar; ebenso offenbar: Eilmannsberger, , “Zur EG-rechtlicher Zulässigkeit der Buchpreisbindung”, ÖWBl. [1995] 105.Google Scholar

48 Of the same opinion: Blanke/Kitz, supran. 26, at p. 122; Hoffmann, supran. 7, at pp. 559, 561 et seq.; Obert, GRURInt. [1999], supra n. 16, at p. 1032; Id., Die Preisbindung im Buchhandel, supra n. 16, at pp. 148 et seq.; Thurnher, supra n. 26.

49 Of the same opinion: Mestmäcker, Europäisches Wettbewerbsrecht, supra n. 29, § 47 III 2 (pp. 586 et seq.).

50 Of the same opinion: Thurnher, supra n. 26.

51 Thereto in detail Obert, Die Preisbindung im Buchhandel, supra n. 16, pp. 153 et seq.