Argentina's fixed book price (Ley 25.542): does it bind e-books, and which discounts are legal

Harvest 2026-10-31 (skills harvest). Proposal only: nothing live changed, no account opened.

What the statute actually states (read in full on InfoLEG)

• Art. 1: every publisher, importer or representative of books must set one uniform retail price (PVP) for the books it publishes or imports.
• Art. 2: "importador" = the main depositary of a foreign publisher's books; the culture secretariat keeps a register of publishers/importers/representatives.
• Art. 3: a book sold with complements ("discos, ... cd rom, o cualquier otro elemento") is one commercial unit with one price.
• E-books are not mentioned anywhere. The law (sanctioned 27 Nov 2001) never defines "libro" and has no digital clause, unlike Spain's Ley 10/2007 art. 2(a), which names "libros electrónicos". Whether Argentine enforcement treats an e-book as a "libro": not checked (no ruling or Secretaría de Industria resolution found). Read it as: physical books certainly; e-books a grey zone.
• Art. 4 legal discounts on the PVP:
• (a) up to 10% during book fairs, book days/weeks declared of public interest, inside the area where the event happens; and for sales to libraries, documentation centres, non-profit cultural bodies;
• (b) up to 50% for the Education Ministry, CONABIP and public bodies buying for free distribution (copies stamped not-for-sale).
• Art. 6 exemptions include limited numbered editions, art books, antiquarian/used, out-of-catalogue, and (g) pre-sales that fund an edition (crowdfunding-style pre-orders are outside the fixed price).
• Art. 7-8: remainder only after withdrawing from catalogue (180 days) or, for retailers, 18 months after purchase.
• Art. 9-10: enforcement = Secretaría de Industria; fines ARS 100-20,000 (2001 pesos, never indexed; reincidence can close a shop up to 10 days).

Is it still in force? (2026 timeline, primary reporting)

• Jul 2026: the Deregulation Ministry (Sturzenegger) drafted repeal of Ley 25.542 so shops could compete on discounts (Tiempo Judicial, 28 Jul 2026).
• Cámara Argentina del Libro publicly opposed; small publishers cited the UK deregulation (500 bookshops closed, per a CAL member quoted by Infobae).
• 12 Aug 2026: President Milei told Infobae the Ley del Libro "no entró ni va a entrar" al Congreso. It stays in force. Recheck before any Argentine promo in 2027 (politics may revive it).

Practitioner numbers worth knowing

• Feria de Editores (independent publishers' fair) Aug 2026: almost 40,000 visitors in 4 days (organiser quoted by Infobae, 12 Aug 2026).
• FILBA 2026: 1,340,000 visitors, +8%; small and mid publishers reported negative numbers (already in the FILBA skill).
• ILHSA (Yenny/El Ateneo) CEO: for supermarkets books would be 0.5% of sales, "lo pueden regalar" (Infobae quoting Forbes) - the deep-discount risk the law exists to stop.

How-to (one price, legal promos)

1. Set ONE consumer price per title for Argentina and keep it identical in every channel that can show ARS (Google Play ARS, any reseller via StreetLib/publica.la). Treat it as binding even though e-books are a grey zone: costs nothing, avoids the question.
2. Promotions in Argentina: max 10%, and only tied to a declared book event in that area (FILBA 22 Apr-10 May 2027; Día del Libro Argentina 15 Jun) - or to libraries/non-profits.
3. Never run a 50%-style flash sale aimed at Argentine readers on a reseller; a free sample chapter or a free event QR is the lever instead (free downloads are not a price).
4. Pre-orders that fund an edition (art. 6g) are exempt - usable only if a print run is ever funded by pre-sale.
5. USD-priced platforms (publica.la Authors, Gumroad): the PVP the reader sees is a USD price; whether a foreign USD storefront counts as Argentine PVP: not checked. Keep it equal to the ARS-equivalent channel price at listing date and do not discount beyond 10%.

How we apply it to Cedwyn

• La visita (Spanish edition) in Argentina: one ARS price on Google Play (local price set by hand, as in the Google Play ARS skill), never auto-converted later without matching every other ARS channel.
• FILBA 2027 promo: a 10% code valid 22 Apr-10 May 2027 only, UTM filba27 (fits the existing FILBA/Día del Libro plan); no deeper Argentine discount.
• 15 Jun 2027 (Día del Libro, Argentina): second 10% window, Chubut/Welsh-Patagonia angle.
• Spain and Argentina now share the same rule shape: one publisher price + 10% event window. One promo calendar serves both: 23 Apr (ES) and 22 Apr-10 May + 15 Jun (AR).
• Owner's GO needed before any price or code goes live.

Sources

• Ley 25.542 full text: servicios.infoleg.gob.ar (read 2026-10-31)
• Infobae, 12 Aug 2026: infobae.com
• Tiempo Judicial, 28 Jul 2026: tiempojudicial.com
• Cámara Argentina del Libro, "Mitos y verdades de la Ley 25.542": camaradellibro.com.ar
• Not checked: e-book coverage in any ruling; USD foreign storefront treatment.

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