Criteria for membership

Membership Criteria and Procedures

The present document defines the criteria and procedures for membership in the Georgian Book Association.

1. Joining
2. 1.1. A person may become a member of the Association if they are a book publisher or distributor who has:
   • 1.1.1. Published at least three books with an ISBN code in the last 12 months, or ensured the sale of at least 50 different book titles in the last 12 months.
   • 1.1.2. Their activities do not contradict the objectives defined by the Association's statute and they adhere to professional ethics.
3. 1.2. A person cannot become a member of the Association if:

1. A person whose beneficial owner [regardless of shareholding] is the state, except for higher educational institutions.
   1. A person who is a member of another association in the book publishing and distribution field.
   1. A person who publishes/distributes pirated books or engages in counterfeiting
   1. If, upon their acceptance as a member, their and their connected members' total number would exceed one-third of the Association's members.
   1. If a person connected to them is a member of another association in the book publishing and distribution field

1.3. For the purposes of this rule, "connected persons" are considered those:

• Who share a common partner/member/founder/beneficiary owner [regardless of shareholding], or
• Who share a common authorized person for management and/or representation, or
• Where the authorized person for the management and/or representation of one subject is a partner/member/founder/beneficiary owner of the other subject [regardless of shareholding].

• Membership Application Procedure

• The applicant (hereinafter referred to as "the applicant") submits an application (Appendix 1) to the governing body of the Association.
  • The application can be sent electronically or in hard copy. An electronic submission can be through email or any other electronic format developed/automated by the Association, e.g., Google forms, etc.
  • If a former member has been expelled from the Association and wishes to rejoin, the applicant must additionally provide evidence that the grounds for their expulsion have been eliminated.
  • The governing body chairperson reviews the information provided in the application and investigates the applicant's activities and their compliance with the Association's objectives.
  • After reviewing the information, if the formal criteria do not meet the established conditions and rules, the chairperson of the governing body will notify the applicant with a reasoned refusal. If there are any deficiencies, the applicant will be asked to rectify them.
  • If the formal criteria meet the established conditions and rules, the governing body prepares a recommendation to accept the application.
  • The governing body sends the application, along with its conclusions, to the Association's members in electronic form.
  • If no member of the Association expresses a reasoned objection to the applicant’s membership within two weeks, the chairperson of the governing body signs the order for the acceptance of the new member, and the applicant is notified within two working days.
  • If within two weeks a member presents a reasoned objection to the applicant's membership, the matter will be discussed at the next general meeting.
  • At the general meeting, the member opposing the applicant’s membership will present their opinion.
  • The applicant must be invited to the general meeting and be given the opportunity to present their opinions.
  • After the discussion, the general meeting will decide whether to accept or reject the application according to the established procedure.
  • The applicant must be notified of the decision of the general meeting within two working days, which will be provided by the chairperson of the governing body.
  • In case of refusal, the person has the right to reapply to the Association one year after the refusal.
  • As soon as the new member is accepted, the chairperson of the governing body informs all members of the Association and the executive director. The new member is registered in the Association’s members' registry, which is maintained by the Association's executive director.
  • • In exceptional cases, a decision made by the governing body may present an application that does not meet the formal requirements/criteria to the Association's members. This presentation must be justified.
  • In exceptional cases, the application is processed according to the procedures and rules established in points 2.7-2.12 of this document.
  • If a member no longer meets the criteria outlined in point 1.1 or if the conditions outlined in point 1.2 are present, the member must notify the chairperson of the governing body accordingly.