Blog post by Deborah De Angelis
5Fully apply competition analysis and tools to ensure libraries face fair market conditions when pursuing public interest goals
In the context of wider exploration of digital markets, launch competition investigations into the functioning of information markets, notably those in which libraries operate, to build understanding and identify competition or other regulatory solutions.
While markets for information may not represent a large share of the overall economy, the way they work has a significantly broader impact, particularly for libraries and their users.
When functional, they support broader public policy goals, including education, research, and access to information. However, when too much power is left in the hands of some players, short-term profit is prioritised over long-term growth, restricting libraries’ ability to support users. To date, there have been no serious efforts to explore how well these markets are functioning or how far they impede the achievement of policy goals.
The Italian Competition Authority has now concluded its inquiry into the school textbook market, which had been mentioned in an earlier KR21 blog post. The Authority reached its conclusions after a broad consultation with the Ministry of Education, publishers, other stakeholders, and civil society organisations.
Why the School Textbook Market Matters
Every year in Italy, the school textbook publishing market involves almost 8 million students and about 1 million teachers. For families, the cost is significant: around €580 for the whole lower secondary cycle and about €1.250 for upper secondary education. School textbook publishing directly affects family budgets, school activities, and students’ access to learning.
In this market, teachers choose the textbooks, families pay for them, and students use them every day. This asymmetry makes monitoring essential to prevent distortions and unfair commercial practices and to protect the right to education.
In its conclusion, the Authority has sent a formal recommendation to the Ministry of Education and other institutions, with concrete indications for supervision and reform, and it will continue to monitor the sector.
A Failed Digital Transition and Market Concentration
The Authority calls for a structural shift in the school publishing market. The investigation makes it clear that the “digital revolution” has largely failed to deliver promised savings and the transition toward the electronic book has not replaced paper-based media. A clear preference for paper or mixed formats emerges, while the adoption of exclusively digital versions remains marginal due to technical limitations and restrictions imposed by publishers.
Instead, high entry costs have led to a concentration of power among a few large players, stifling bibliodiversity. While book prices have generally aligned with inflation, the statistical analysis further reveals an increase in costs for families, influenced by the rising price of raw materials and regulatory limitations on discounts.The Authority also highlights that the ambitious digital reform process launched in 2013 has failed to generate the expected economic savings for families.
Proposed Reforms: Formats, Pricing, and Usability
To address this, the Authority suggests a stronger push toward the adoption of ‘Type A’ books (printed volumes with supplemental digital content), which would be simpler, lighter, and potentially less expensive, utilising accessible technology like QR codes, to provide a lighter, more affordable, and user-friendly experience. Furthermore, there is a need to reform the existing “price ceiling” system, which the report identifies as an inefficient tool that often distorts the adoption process rather than helping consumers.
Licensing, Digital Access and Transparency Concerns
The Authority also reports critical issues in licensing and digital resource usability, regarding:
- “One copy – one user” model: the Authority recognises that digital resources are currently subject to rigid unilateral limitations imposed by publishers that prevent transfer to third parties, hindering both the second-hand market and school lending schemes.
- Technical Limitations: Strict limits imposed by publishers on the printability of digital content and time-based restrictions on accessibility have been identified, with access often expiring before the end of the school cycle.
- Common Minimum Standards: The Authority acknowledges the publishers’ willingness to improve these conditions (e.g., “regeneration” of licenses at discounted prices, extended duration, and partial printing options) and calls for the establishment of a shared minimum standard across the sector.
Furthermore, the Authority recognises the need for greater transparency for new editions since frequent variations between editions reduce the potential for reusing second-hand books and has secured the publishers’ commitment to revise Article 25 of the AIE (Italian Publishers Association) Self-Regulatory Code to ensure the disclosure of actual changes between old and new editions. In this regard, the Authority suggests employing Artificial Intelligence tools (such as Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision) to objectively and systematically quantify textual and graphic variations between editions.
Regarding the national strategy for Open Educational Resources (OER), the Authority deems as essential a more coordinated institutional support for school-based self-productions and OER, including the removal of regulatory constraints that hinder their development.
Conclusion: Need for Ongoing Enforcement and Broader Implications
In conclusion, the Authority reserves the right to activate its standard enforcement tools should monitoring following the closure of the investigation reveal the grounds for new proceedings regarding the identified dynamics that hinder competition:
- ‘Closed’ licensing models
- Proprietary platforms
- Contractual imbalances
Only a systemic approach can ensure that access to knowledge remains a fundamental right for every student.
The case represents an important indication of the relevance of looking at how well markets for digital (or hybrid) content are working, in particular in fields where there is a strong public policy interest.
While markets for textbooks – and other electronic content – may not be as large as others in monetary value terms, they have a significant impact on people’s ability to access education – a fundamental right. Competition authorities, by carrying out such analyses and taking on such cases, can play an essential role in the achievement of policy goals.
23 February 2026
