Fixed prices in Onix from Bokbasen

By Mona Nummedal
3 min

In production as of January 22, 2024.

ISBN available for testing in test environment:

9788202416164 – fixed price, no date (expected for sale)

9788215027333 - fixed price, no date (expected for sale)

9788234011467 – fixed price, with date

9788283051186 - fixed price, with date

9788245034219 – not fixed price

9788205542136 - has had a fixed price, not a fixed price anymore

9788202749217 - not fixed price because it has been published in the booklet edition earlier

Background

Law regulating fixed prices in the Norwegian book market was adopted by the Norwegian Parliament June 12th 2023.

The Act applies to the sale of fiction, non-fiction, specialist books for the professional market and textbooks for higher education, regardless of publication format.

The Act does not apply to the sale of school books for primary and secondary schools or the sale of used books

The Act does not apply to books published before 01.01.2024.

§5 in the Act on the Sale of Books (the Book Act) says:

The publisher must set a fixed price for sale to the end customer for each publication format of a book. The fixed price applies to publishers and retailers for twelve months for each format from the first time the format of the book is published.

The first time the book is published is defined as the date a publication is available to the end customer, and the customer will immediately be able to access the publication, regardless of whether it is in physical or digital format.

A fixed price can be set before a book is published and can be used for advance sales. The fixed price period does not start until the book is published.

Information about the fixed price period is included in Bokbasen’s Onix records, and includes information about whether the price is fixed or not, and the end date for the fixed price period.

This date is included in the metadata records at the date of publication, and not earlier, in the <PriceDate> element. This date can not be changed.

For publications that are not covered by the fixed price provision in the Books Act, the price element will look like it does now.

Onix records includes the following information:

  1. Fixed price can be set before the book is published, and be used for advance sale. The <Price> element states that the price is fixed in the <PriceType> element. A <PriceDate> element is not included.

  2. The book is published, and the first published date is set. The <Price> element includes code for fixed price in <PriceType>, and an until date for the fixed price period in <PriceDate>

  3. The fixed price period is over. The Onix record will be uptdated with code 02 in <PriceType>. The record does not include a <PriceDate> element.

  4. The publication is not covered by the fixed price provision in the Books. The price element be the same as in 3

Example

Book in fixed price period, publication date is 1.1.2024:

<Price> 
  <PriceType>04</PriceType> ====>  04 fixed price 
  <PriceQualifier>05</PriceQualifier> 
  <PriceAmount>439.00</PriceAmount> 
  <Tax> 
    <TaxType>01</TaxType> 
    <TaxRateCode>Z</TaxRateCode>  
    <TaxRatePercent>0</TaxRatePercent> 
  </Tax> 
  <CurrencyCode>NOK</CurrencyCode> 
  <PriceDate> 
    <PriceDateRole>15</PriceDateRole> ======> until date 
    <Date dateformat="00">20241231</Date> =====> date
   </PriceDate> 
</Price> 

 

Example

Fixed price period until 31.12.2024, recommended retail price from 1.1.2025

1.1.2025 an update will be available, including information about the recommended retail price:

 

<Price> 
  <PriceType>02</PriceType> ====>  02 recommended retail price 
  <PriceQualifier>05</PriceQualifier> 
  <PriceAmount>439.00</PriceAmount> 
  <Tax> 
    <TaxType>01</TaxType> 
    <TaxRateCode>Z</TaxRateCode>  
    <TaxRatePercent>0</TaxRatePercent> 
  </Tax> 
  <CurrencyCode>NOK</CurrencyCode> 
</Price> 

 

Example xml:
Book in fixed price period:

Book after fixed price period:

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