Switzerland/ 5.3 Sector specific legislation  

5.3.4 Literature and libraries

The Book Trade in Switzerland is currently based on a fixed price policy (net book agreement). An agreement between publishers, distributors, and bookstores guaranteed consumers pay retail prices as determined by publishers. Great controversy arose the last years in response to the decision of the Competition Regulation Authority to lift fixed prices on books and the subsequent endorsement from the federal court. The Authority came to the conclusion that there is no causal link between fixed prices on books, on the one hand, and the variety of titles, broad range of selection, and the high density of booksellers, on the other. The Federal Council is convinced that cultural policy goals can be obtained by means of government-supported books and publishers. The discussion is currently ongoing.

The relevant laws in the field of literature and libraries are:

• The Federal Law on National Languages and on Mutual Understanding between the Language Communities of 5 October 2007 (Sprachengesetz, SpG)
• The Federal Law on the Swiss National Library of 18 December 1992 (Nationalbibliotheksgesetz, NBibG)
• The Federal Law on the Promotion of Culture of 11 December 2008 (Kulturförderungsgesetz, KFG)

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