The French Publishers Association (Syndicat national de l’édition, or SNE) has launched a significant campaign aimed at restructuring the economics of the second-hand book market. As reported by Jaroslaw Adamowski in Publishing Perspectives, the SNE is advocating for a financial mechanism that would compensate authors and publishers for the resale of their works—a sector that currently generates no revenue for the original creators.
The initiative stems from alarming data regarding the shift in French reading habits. According to SNE managing director Renaud Lefebvre, the share of used books in the market has risen from 12.7 percent in 2011 to over 20 percent in 2024. With online platforms driving this surge, the SNE projects that second-hand volumes could capture nearly 40 percent of the market within five years. This trend poses a direct threat to the country’s 1981 Lang Law, which relies on fixed book prices to stabilize the industry.
Lefebvre argues that the current system excludes the “architects” of the creative process from the value chain. “It seems essential that authors and publishers… receive, directly or indirectly, compensation from the sale of used books,” the association stated. To remedy this, the SNE proposes establishing copyright fees for used books via mandatory collective management, mirroring successful French models currently used for photocopies and library lending.
Backed by a recent opinion from the French Council of State, the SNE asserts that such a levy complies with both French and EU law. By implementing this system, the association aims to secure the long-term financial viability of the French publishing landscape amidst rapidly changing consumption patterns.
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