Bookster vs publishing houses case: Bucharest court's first decision expected soon

The judges of a court in Bucharest are expected to issue their first decision in the case opened in 2019 by a group of major Romanian publishing houses against Bookster - a book-sharing platform that allegedly costs millions of euros per year in lost book sales. The Bucharest Tribunal could issue a decision in this litigation on October 13, according to Hotnews.ro.

At the same time, with the case opened against it in court by the publishers, Bookster referred the publishers in turn to the competition body Consiliul Concurentei for alleged collusion (by refusal to sell its books).

Launched in 2013, Bookster presented itself at the time as an "Uber, Spotify or Airbnb" of local public libraries, with tens of thousands of subscribers among corporate employees. The business model consists of lending books "for free" to corporate employees. Instead, companies pay a monthly subscription declared as covering the transport of borrowed books to the office.

According to Hotnews.ro, the process pertains to at least two aspects - on the one hand, the status of the public library of Bookster, and on the other hand, the business model of Bookster - related to the copyright and remuneration regime that should be paid to publishers and authors. This business model through which Bookster earns money from delivery (transport services), unlike classic public libraries, is challenged by publishers.

Book sharing business Bookster is controlled by local business Octavian Radu who owns several businesses, including the logistics company TCE and the bookstore chain Diverta ( which entered insolvency this year, for the second time in the last 10 years).

(Photo source: Pixabay.com)