Amazon.com and 'Big Five' publishers accused of ebook price-fixing

Class action lawsuit filed in US claims the houses have colluded with the online giant to keep prices artificially highAmazon.com and the “Big Five” publishers – Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – have been accused of colluding to fix ebook prices, in a class action filed by the law firm that successfully sued Apple and the Big Five on the same charge 10 years ago.The lawsuit, filed in district court in New York on Thursday by Seattle firm Hagens Berman, on behalf of consumers in several US states, names the retail giant as the sole defendant but labels the publishers “co-conspirators”. It alleges Amazon and the publishers use a clause known as “Most Favored Nations” (MFN) to keep ebook prices artificially high, by agreeing to price restraints that force consumers to pay more for ebooks purchased on retail platforms that are not Amazon.com. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-15 13:04:33 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Amazon.com and 'Big Five' publishers accused of ebook price-fixing"


Next week, Amazon is stripping away your ability to download your ebooks.

Starting next Wednesday, February 26th, Amazon isn’t going to let users download the ebooks they’ve purchased, forcing users to keep everything within the corporation’s proprietary ecosystem. As covered in The Verge, the mega-corporation is removing a feature that lets ebook readers do what they... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-02-19 17:01:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


S&S UK and International CEO Ian Chapman Stepping Down

After 25 years with Simon & Schuster, the company's UK and International publisher and CEO, Ian Chapman, is to step down in May. The post S&S UK and International CEO Ian Chapman Stepping Down appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-02-17 18:48:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Jon Yaged on Book Banning: ‘It Stigmatizes Reading’

The CEO of Macmillan Publishers talks about his personal experience of reading and the stark dangers of banning books. The post Jon Yaged on Book Banning: ‘It Stigmatizes Reading’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2025-02-10 22:21:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What Are Book Blurbs, and How Much Do They Matter in Publishing?

An announcement from Simon & Schuster’s publisher left the literary community wondering whether blurbs, the little snippets of praise on a book jacket, are all they’re cracked up to be. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2025-02-04 19:45:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Simon & Schuster imprint will no longer ask authors to obtain blurbs for their books

Publisher says expecting authors, agents and editors to secure blurbs can create ‘an incestuous and unmeritocratic literary ecosystem that often rewards connections over talent’When you buy a new book, you can usually expect to see praise from other authors emblazoned on its cover. A writer... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2025-01-31 17:27:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why Simon & Schuster’s Flagship Imprint Won’t Require Blurbs Anymore

In a decision some might call “stunning” or a “tour-de-force,” new S&S publisher Sean Manning has decided to no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books. Here’s why. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


You Can Now Buy eBooks on Bookshop.org!

Since it launched in January 2020, Bookshop.org has been a popular place for readers to buy books while supporting local ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-01-28 15:52:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This is not a drill, folks. Indie bookstores can sell ebooks now.

As of this morning, you can now easily buy ebooks from your local indie bookstore. Thanks to Bookshop.org, the reigning David to Am*zon’s Goliath. As Wired reports, a new platform on the site will now sell ebooks directly to customers. Bookshop users can buy and read titles via a handy-dandy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-01-28 14:35:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Publishing Graphic Novels Means Taking Chances: PW Talks with Mark Siegel

This year, longtime Macmillan graphic novel imprint First Second Books will roll out a sister imprint, the adult-focused 23rd Street Books. We spoke with Siegel, who founded both, about the market for graphic novels for adults and why now was the time, data be damned. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


S&S Launches Audio Imprint Simon Maverick, Helmed by Jason Pinter

Simon & Schuster has announced a new audio-first imprint, Simon Maverick, focused on self-published authors. Former Polis Books publisher Jason Pinter is the imprint’s VP and editorial director. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Publishing M&A in 2024: An Active, but Not Seismic, Year for Deals

Though there were no billion-dollar deals along the lines of private equity firm KKR’s 2023 sale of RBmedia and purchase of Simon & Schuster, the year did produce a number of notable acquisitions that indicate a few developing trends. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Penguin Random House to Distribute Boom! Studios Following Acquisition

Penguin Random House will distribute all titles published by Boom! Studios, which it acquired this August, starting next July, taking over distribution to the bookstore trade from Simon & Schuster and to the direct market from Diamond Comic Distributors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


TikTok owner ByteDance to publish print books

8th Note Press, an imprint launched by ByteDance, will print novels in genres popular on BookTok including YA and contemporary fiction and ‘romantasy’ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, will begin publishing print books in February.The company already publishes ebooks through its imprint... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-11-22 17:16:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Macmillan Marketing VP’s Election Post Stirs Anger

In response to president-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, Mariel Dawson, VP of marketing at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, posted a pro-Trump graphic on a personal account, raising concerns of bias among Macmillan authors and readers and prompting a response from the company. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The best ereaders for 2024

There are really two types of ereaders: Dedicated ebook/audiobook devices or slabs that are more akin to small tablets with E Ink screens. In the first category, the competition is really between Amazon’s Kindle devices and Rakuten’s Kobo readers. Ereaders in the latter group include entries... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 08:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024) review: A luxurious reading experience

Amazon completely revamped its Kindle family in October when it debuted the entirely new Colorsoft ereader along with updated generations of the other three existing models: the standard Kindle, the Paperwhite and the Scribe E Ink tablet. The new Paperwhite has a slightly larger screen, a bigger... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-11-04 16:30:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Macmillan Enters a ‘Period of Stability’

While its Big Five peers have made headline-grabbing moves, Macmillan CEO John Yaged said the publisher has been posting solid growth. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Kindle Colorsoft review: The missing link in Amazon’s ereader lineup

Well, it finally happened. After years of waiting and requests, Amazon debuted the $280 Kindle Colorsoft, its first ereader with a color display. The company’s ereaders have dominated this space since the original Kindle came out 17 years ago, but in this case, it feels like Amazon is playing... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-30 13:15:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amazon unveils a new Kindle with color display, plus updated models

Amazon has unveiled some exciting updates to the Kindle series of e-readers, including the Kindle Colorsoft (the very first Kindle with a color display) as well as updated Kindle Scribe and Kindle Paperwhite models. The regular Kindle also has a new “Matcha” green colorway. Keep reading... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2024-10-17 14:54:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this