The tensions between books and book markets as expressions of culture and books as products in profit-making businesses are analysed and insights from the theory of industrial organisation are given. Governments intervene in the market for books through laws concerning prices of books, grants...

The paper introduces a specification of the demand side which allows RPM to have different effects on prices and on service, which may increase or decrease due to RPM. A feature of the model which deviates from those found in the literature is due to the introduction of a class of consumers who...

Die Monopolkommission fordert in ihrem XIII. Hauptgutachten die Abschaffung der Buchpreisbindung. Im Gegenzug hat sich die Bundesregierung für deren Erhalt ausgesprochen. Ist die Buchpreisbindung notwendig, um Qualität und Vielfalt auf dem Buchmarkt zu sichern? Wie ist sie aus ökonomischer...

Für den Buchmarkt insgesamt verlief das Jahr 2005 im Vergleich zum gesamten Einzelhandel recht positiv. Der expandierende Online-Handel und auch das kräftige Umsatzwachstum bei Hörbüchern bescherten der Branche in diesem Jahr ein Umsatzplus von 2½ bis 3%, während der Sortimentbuchhandel...

Technology is taking over the world. Moreover, Artificial Intelligence or AI as the latest form of disruption seems to take over the work of creative workers: we find AI as the creator of oil paintings and as potential journalists. AI even takes the approach of creative writing. Therefore, the...

Technology is destroying book culture - at least if one trusts the book industry's branch journals. In this, technology and culture are often discussed as separate matters, which do not seem to get together as the term culture is highly charged with value attribution. However, research on the...