REGARDING THE PRICES OF BOOK DISTRIBUTION
Articles 34-38 of Section E, of Law 4549/2018 (Government Gazette A’ 105/14.06.2018), provide the following:
Article 34. Scope and definitions
- For the application of this Section, a book is understood to mean, in addition to the printed edition, the CD-ROM, the DVD ROM, any type of digital text (file) that reproduces the content of a specific book, as well as the electronic book (e-book).
- For the application of this Section, a publisher is understood to mean any natural or legal person who publishes books in Greece in any language or who publishes books abroad in the Greek language and which are available in Greece.
- The provisions of this Section also apply to books circulating in Greece from a publisher based in Greece and which have been printed or reproduced abroad on behalf of the publisher.
- The provisions of this Section do not apply to used and defective books.
- The provisions of this Section do not apply to the determination of the book price after eighteen (18) months from its first publication, subject to paragraph 9 of article 35 herein.
- The provisions of this Section do not apply to the price of books offered to their author, the State, public law entities, any legal entity serving charitable or cultural or scientific purposes or providing such services to the public, as well as to professional organizations of authors, publishers, and booksellers, provided that the books are not offered for their commercial exploitation.
Article 35. Determination of book price
- The publisher is obliged to determine the price of his book and any possible additional offers that can be offered to the public and to inform those who procure copies of the book for public distribution about the above.
- It is prohibited to offer books to the public by the publisher himself or by a third party: a. at a price exceeding the price set by the publisher or b. at a price less than ninety percent (90%) of this price.
- When offering the book, the publisher does not offer additional services if these are not determined in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2. Advertising of services not determined in accordance with the previous sentence is also prohibited.
- When the book distribution business to the public is located more than fifty (50) kilometers from the publisher's headquarters of the book being offered, its distribution may be at a price exceeding up to five percent (5%) of the price set by the publisher for public distribution.
- The publisher may adjust the price of the book for the public. In this case, he is obliged to inform within fifteen (15) days about the price adjustment to those who procure or have procured copies of the book for public distribution.
- Natural or legal persons who procure or have procured copies of a book for further distribution to the public are obliged to offer them at a price: a. that does not exceed the new price set by the publisher, b. that is not less than ninety percent (90%) of this price. This obligation applies after the lapse of fifteen (15) days from the day the natural or legal person, who makes the books available to the public, became aware of the price adjustment.
- In the event of an adjustment of the book's selling price to a level lower than the price initially set, the publisher is obliged: a. either to pay, as compensation, to the natural or legal persons of paragraph 6 the difference between the old and the new price multiplied by the number of unsold copies, b. or to accept the return of unsold copies at the price at which the copies were procured, provided that the copies are not damaged or altered. The choice between compensation or the return of unsold copies, according to cases a and b, is made by the publisher of paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 34.
- The fee for supplementary services provided to the public during the distribution of the book is not considered an excess of the price set by the publisher for the book's distribution to the public.
- In the event of a reprint of the book, its selling price to the public cannot be lower than eighty percent (80%) of the price set by the publisher for twelve (12) months. The twelve (12) month period starts: a. either after the lapse of eighteen (18) months from the first edition, when the reprint occurs before the completion of eighteen (18) months from the first edition, b. or from the date of the first reprint, when it occurs after the completion of eighteen (18) months from the first edition.
- In the event that the book is reissued with significant changes by the same publisher with a different International Standard Book Number (ISBN), paragraphs 1 to 9 apply provided that at least twenty-four (24) months have passed from the date on which the copies of the book made available by the publisher were exhausted. Evidence for this is the relevant declaration of the publisher in the circulating books database "Biblionet."
- All books placed on the market must bear the month and year of the current edition. In the case of reprinting or reissuing, in addition to what is specified in the previous sentence, the books must also bear the serial number of the reprint, as well as the month and year of the first edition. In the absence of the month of publication, January of the year of the book's publication is considered the month of publication.
Article 36. Imposition of sanctions
- For violations of paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 11 of article 35, the administrative sanctions of article 22 of Law 4177/2013 (A' 173) are imposed.
- The procedure for imposing fines is carried out as specified in article 24 of Law 4177/2013.
- The amounts of fines imposed under paragraph 1 are collected in accordance with the provisions of the K.E.D.E. and may be adjusted by joint decision of the Ministers of Economy and Development and Finance.
Article 37. Authorizing provisions
- By joint decision of the Ministers of Economy and Development, Culture and Sports, and Interior, the method of notification by the publisher of the book's selling price, the competent authorities for the above checks, the procedure for carrying out this, the amount of the fine imposed for each of the violations of paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 11 of Article 35, as well as any detail necessary for the implementation of the provision of this present, are regulated.
Article 38. Transitional provision
- The provisions of this Section apply to books that will be published after the publication of this law in the Government Gazette.
- Books that, at the time of the publication of this law, were subject to a single book price regime, based on the repealed provisions of Article 39, henceforth fall under paragraph 2 of Article 35 of this law, for a period of two (2) years from their first publication or until the date of reprinting or reissue. In case the month of the first edition is not stated, January of the year of the book's publication is considered as the month of publication.
- Books that are reprinted fall under paragraph 9 of Article 35 only if the first edition takes place after the publication of this law.
- Books that have been published before the publication of this law, in case of their reissue with significant changes by the same publisher with a different International Standard Book Number (ISBN), after the publication of this law, fall under paragraph 10 of Article 35.
Article 39. Repealed provisions
With the publication of this law, paragraph 3 of Article 1 of Law 2557/1997 (A' 271), sub-case 1 of subparagraph ST.4 of paragraph ST' of the first article of Law 4254/2014 (A' 85), and paragraph 5 of Article 186 of Law 4261/2014 (A' 107), as well as any other provision contrary to the provisions of this Section, are repealed.
The bookstore "to thema" fully complies with the provisions of Law 4549/2018.
Regarding the books subject to the provisions of the above Law, the prices listed on our website are valid provided that there has been no re-determination of the book's selling price to the public by the publisher, for which the bookstore "to thema" has not been informed.
In the event that during the ordering stage of a book of the above case by the customer, it is found by the bookstore "to thema" that there has been a re-determination of its selling price by the publisher, the bookstore "to thema" is obliged, according to the provisions of Law 4549/2018, to re-determine its selling price. Before executing the said order, the bookstore will inform the customer of the new legally mandatory minimum price, so that the latter can confirm or cancel the order.
Books that have not been in stock at the bookstore for a long time and are not subject to the provisions of Law 4549/2018, may in certain minimal cases be subject to the condition that there has been a re-determination of their selling price by the publisher, for which the bookstore has not been informed. In the case of a small price increase, the book will be sent at the ordered price. In case of a significant price change, the customer will be informed before the order is shipped to reach an agreement.
The bookstore "to thema" invites publishers to monitor the details of their titles, as mentioned on this website, and to immediately inform the bookstore, in accordance with the provisions of Law 4549/2018, for any re-determination of the selling price of their books. It also invites them to immediately inform the bookstore of any first reissue or reissue after a twenty-four-month period during which a book was out of print, as according to paragraphs 9 and 10 of article 35 of Law 4549/2018, these reissues extend the inclusion of the books in Law 4549/2018, regarding the determination of the price to the public.