ACM urges publishers to end schoolbook tying practices

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has called on educational publishers to stop the mandatory tying of paper and digital textbooks, labeling the practice a ‘maatschappelijk ongewenste verkoopstrategie’ (socially undesirable sales strategy).

An investigation revealed that the market for secondary school books is poorly functioning. The ACM noted that the availability of reusable textbooks has dropped to ‘bijna nul’ (almost zero), with books increasingly becoming disposable items. Due to a lack of competition among the three major publishers—Noordhoff, Malmberg, and ThiemeMeulenhoff—textbook prices have risen faster over the last seven years than comparable products.

The regulator suggested that schools must take more initiative to drive better pricing and quality. The ACM advised schools to act collectively during procurement. In response to these market pressures, over a thousand schools have already joined Neon, a cooperative established last year to develop their own educational materials.