Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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589. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide an update on the work of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission regarding their examination of restrictive licensing models such as metered access or limited-term licenses for e-books and academic journals. [58193/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is an independent statutory body and is responsible for carrying out its functions in accordance with its legislative mandate.

The CCPC previously assessed complaints concerning certain publishers’ practices in relation to eBooks, including licensing terms, pricing models, and potential competition law breaches. This assessment concluded in March 2024, following engagement with complainants and the European Commission.

Based on the information available and its prioritisation principles, the CCPC decided not to pursue further action. Key factors informing this decision included:

• No evidence of anti-competitive behaviour or abuse of dominance, as required under Irish and EU competition law.
• Variation in licensing practices across publishers, which did not suggest coordinated conduct.
• Fundamental differences between eBooks and print books, making direct comparisons and cost assessments complex.
• Overlap with intellectual property and public policy issues, which may be better addressed outside the scope of competition enforcement.
• Jurisdictional and resource constraints, given that many relevant publishers are based outside Ireland.