The e-book market is exploding in the U.S., but the e-book market in Europe is still lagging two to three years behind the U.S. At the Frankfurt Fair, though European book publishers are all acquiring e-book rights, their target European market remains poorly equipped with digital readers.

The European market’s slower adoption of e-books is largely due to the scarcity of e-readers. At the fair, a foreign rights director claimed that there are “not many devices available” and that the few available are “very expensive.” In addition, e-books face other stumbling blocks in Europe. The fixed price policy in Germany, and France could affect sales. These two countries want to hold fast to the prices. There are rumors that e-books will sell for 20% off the list price of the edition, a much higher price that the US equivalent.

Various questions are hampering the sales of e-books will in Europe. The main problem come from managing territorial rights in a geographically fractured market. Though territories where e-books can be sold are defined in the metadata (albeit still riddled with confusion about the system for maintaining territorial rights), mistakes do occur and hackers will undoubtedly find way to circumvent the digital limitations to access cheaper versions of the e-books they wish to purchase. Already there have been instances of metadata mistakes leading to titles being available in countries where a publisher did not have the right to sell those titles, but it’s difficult to parse how big a concern this is among foreign houses.

And then there’s the growing concern and confusion over e-books and the open market. Under the current territorial model, the open market right allows publishers to sell English-language books in European countries outside the U.K. Whether this system can, or should, be preserved in the digital world is a persistent question. As, following the  establishment of the E.U, Europe is under a more unified copyright law, we might see multiple English-language editions being sold in Europe,  meaning there could now be legal ground for eliminating the open market in publishing.

While the future of the e-book market in Europe is the topic of many heated debates, the UK Booksellers Association (BA) is desperately fighting for survival. Its membership figures fell 20% in six years, with independent bookshop membership falling by 26% in the same timeframe, reflecting a serious crisis for high street bookshops.

The BA advises taking measures ranging from price regulation and tax rebates for cultural institution to parking fee rebates and city planning to save the bookshops from extinction .

In a statement, Tim Godfray, CEO of the Booksellers Association has said: “At a time when literacy is an issue and libraries are under threat from government cuts, we need to build a coalition of publishers, government and consumers to provide opportunities for the passionate and creative entrepreneurs who run bookshops on our high streets to thrive.

“What is clear from surveying our members is the considerable influence local and national government and our competition authorities have on the high street retailer. There is a lot of talk about putting the high street first, but far more action is needed. Rate relief for businesses with a cultural and educational value would be welcome…

There is plenty that can be done but it needs to be done now if we are to maintain bookshops on our high streets and protect the significant impact they have on the wellbeing of local society the UK. We will be making representations in the next few months to the appropriate bodies, and are also providing our members with posters for shop windows.”

All in all, Frankfurt Fair made it crystal clear the European book market, whether print or digital, is in deep turmoil and that its future is yet to be shaped.