Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions apply to every order placed on bookisbn.org.uk (the “Website”), which is operated by Independent Publishing Network Ltd. Please read them before you buy.

Important information before you order

Booksellers, distributors, printers, and self-publishing platforms (for example Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or high-street retailers) each set their own requirements for ISBNs, metadata, and barcodes. We cannot guarantee that every third party will accept a particular book, cover or barcode, because their acceptance depends on factors outside our control such as print quality, cover design and their own listing rules.

Before ordering, please check that an ISBN issued through the Independent Publishing Network meets the requirements of the platforms and retailers you plan to use. If you are unsure, contact us before you buy.

1. Definitions

In these terms:

  • “We”, “us”, “our” or “the Seller” means Independent Publishing Network Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 11541223, with its registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom and its mailing address at MB #1869, PO Box 480, Sevenoaks, TN13 9JY, United Kingdom.
  • “You”, “your” or “the Buyer” means the person, firm or organisation placing an order with us.
  • “Products” means everything we supply, including ISBN numbers, registration of title details on the Nielsen BookData database, ISBN barcode image files, self-adhesive ISBN barcode labels, and any related services.
  • “Membership” means your one-off membership of the Independent Publishing Network, which entitles you to ISBNs and the related services described on the Website.
  • “Consumer” means an individual acting for purposes wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession.
  • “In writing” includes email.

2. These terms

  • These terms apply to all sales made through the Website and replace any other terms you may try to apply.
  • No change to these terms is binding unless agreed in writing by an authorised representative of the Seller.
  • By placing an order you confirm that you accept these terms. If you order on behalf of a business or organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind it.
  • We are a UK-registered company run from New Zealand, and we supply customers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. If you are a Consumer, nothing in these terms takes away any rights you have under the consumer protection laws of the country where you live. For UK customers, this includes the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.
  • If you are buying for business purposes, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (New Zealand) does not apply, as permitted by section 43 of that Act.

3. Accepting your order

  • Products shown on the Website are an invitation to order, not an offer to sell. Your order is an offer to buy, and a contract is formed only when we confirm acceptance by email or supply the Products.
  • We may decline an order, for example where the information supplied is incomplete or inaccurate, or where the publication appears unsuitable for ISBN registration under the rules of the UK ISBN Agency (Nielsen).
  • If we decline an order after taking payment, we will refund you in full.

4. ISBNs and title registration

  • Each ISBN we supply is unique and is allocated to a single edition and format of your publication (for example, paperback, hardback or ebook each needs its own ISBN).
  • ISBNs supplied by the Independent Publishing Network come from an ISBN prefix held by the Network. You are named as the author and, where provided, your chosen imprint name is recorded against your title.
  • We register your title details on the Nielsen BookData database using the information you give us. You are responsible for making sure that information (title, author, format, price, publication date and so on) is accurate and complete. We are not responsible for errors in information you provide.
  • An ISBN cannot be transferred to a different publication, or reused once it has been registered or published.
  • As the person responsible for the publication, you are responsible for complying with UK legal deposit requirements, including supplying a copy to the British Library within one month of publication, and for ensuring your publication does not infringe the rights of any third party or break any law.

5. Prices

  • All prices are shown in pounds sterling (GBP) and are tax-free. No VAT, GST or other taxes are added at checkout.
  • Membership is a one-off fee. There are no annual or renewal fees for ISBNs supplied with your membership.
  • Delivery of self-adhesive barcode labels is free within the United Kingdom and Ireland. Delivery charges for other destinations are shown at checkout.
  • We take care to show correct prices and product information, but errors may occur. If we find a pricing error after you have ordered, we will contact you, and you may either proceed at the correct price or cancel for a full refund.

6. Payment

  • Payment is due in full at the time of ordering. Products are not supplied until payment has cleared.
  • Our third-party payment providers process payments securely, e.g., Stripe and PayPal. We do not see or store your full card details.
  • For trade customers on agreed account terms, invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date. Overdue business invoices may incur interest at 2% per month until paid.

7. Delivery

  • ISBNs and barcode image files are delivered by email. We process most orders within 1-2 working days; we will let you know if there is likely to be a delay.
  • We normally submit title registration to Nielsen BookData once we have received your complete title details. Nielsen’s own processing times then apply, and it can take several weeks for a title to appear in retailer systems.
  • We print barcode labels to order and post them to the address you give us. Delivery times are estimates.
  • We will make every reasonable effort to meet estimated delivery times but are not liable for delays caused by events outside our reasonable control.

8. Ownership and risk

  • Risk in physical Products (such as barcode labels) passes to you on delivery.
  • Ownership of physical Products passes to you once we have received payment in full.

9. Our guarantee and your responsibilities

  • We guarantee that each ISBN supplied is unique to you, has not been supplied to anyone else and will not be reissued.
  • We supply barcode images in high resolution (600 dpi) and in several file formats. Barcode labels are supplied printed to scannable quality.
  • You are responsible for checking your barcode on your final printed cover or proof before full print runs, including size, colour contrast, quiet zones and placement. Barcodes that are resized, recoloured or placed on unsuitable backgrounds may not scan.
  • We do not guarantee that any particular retailer, distributor or platform will list or stock your book.

10. Limitation of liability

  • Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else that cannot be limited or excluded by law.
  • If you are a Consumer, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these terms or failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for loss or damage that is not foreseeable.
  • If you are buying for business purposes, our total liability to you in connection with any order is limited to the price paid for that order, and we are not liable for any loss of profit, loss of sales or business, or any indirect or consequential loss.
  • Information on the Website is provided in good faith as general guidance. It is not legal or professional advice.

11. Events outside our control

We are not responsible for any delay or failure to perform caused by events outside our reasonable control, including failures or delays at Nielsen BookData, postal services, payment providers or internet services. If such an event occurs, we will contact you and take reasonable steps to minimise the delay.

12. Cancellations and refunds

Our Refund Policy, which forms part of these terms, explains when orders can be cancelled and when refunds are available. In summary: once an ISBN has been allocated to your title, it cannot be returned to stock or reissued to anyone else, so it is not refundable except as set out in the Refund Policy or where required by law.

13. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The version published on the Website when you place your order applies to that order.

14. Notices

Notices to us must be in writing and sent to [email protected] or by post to our mailing address: MB #1869, PO Box 480, Sevenoaks, TN13 9JY, United Kingdom.

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand, and the courts of New Zealand have jurisdiction over any dispute.

If you are a Consumer living in the United Kingdom or another country, you keep the protection of any mandatory consumer laws of that country, and you may also bring proceedings in the courts where you live.

If you are buying for business purposes, any claim against us must be brought within three months of the cause of action arising, to the extent permitted by law.

16. Severability

If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the rest will remain in full force.

17. Intellectual property and confidentiality

  • All content on the Website, including text, graphics and logos, belongs to us or our licensors and may not be copied without permission.
  • Barcode image files supplied to you may be used only on the publication to which the ISBN is allocated.
  • Our emails are subject to the disclaimer included with them.

18. Third-party rights

Only you and we have rights under these terms. No other person has any right to enforce them under Part 2, subpart 1 of the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 (New Zealand) or any equivalent law.

19. Accuracy of the Website

We aim to keep the information on the Website accurate and up to date but cannot guarantee that it is free of errors. We may change the Website at any time without notice.

20. Privacy

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to fulfil your order, including with Nielsen BookData for title registration and with our payment providers. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

21. Entire agreement

These terms, together with our Refund Policy and Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and us and replace any earlier discussions or communications. They may only be varied in writing as set out in clause 2.