ABC meeting today to discuss variant copies certified

The Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) is meeting to discuss and consider the variant copies along with the main edition copies for certification in the same ABC certificate of circulation.

Earlier, views were expressed that since variant copies were a different product as compared to the main edition copy in terms of cover price, pagination, content, advertisement and target audience, variant copies should be treated separately and delinked from certification along with the main copies in the same ABC Certificate of circulation.

The Council of Management has been discussing the issue pertaining to certification of variant copies – whether variant copies should be continued to be certified along with the main edition copies of the same title in the same ABC certificate or variant copies should be certified entirely separately in a separate ABC certificate.

In the discussion that followed at the last three Council Meetings, the following main points of discussion had emerged:

To continue to certify main edition copies as well as variant copies of the same title in the same ABC certificate albeit in a columnar form clearly showing the different certified numbers under main edition copies and variant copies as well as preparing the distribution statement in a columnar form showing both main edition copies and variant copies separately in different columns.

To separately certify the variant copies in a separate ABC certificate with a separate distribution statement.

As an interim measure, to amend the ABC Code for Publicity for publisher members, wherein certified circulation figures of main edition copies and variant copies cannot be added together to make any claim/ publicity/ advertisement. Any claim from publisher member should only be based on the main edition copy as certified by ABC (in spite of variant copies being certified in the same ABC certificate of circulation).

This would be applicable to all publisher members with immediate effect. This is an interim measure till such time publisher members meet and debate the issue.