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 ]

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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... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-15 13:04:33 UTC ]
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Book Biz Saw Little M&A in 2020, with Some Big Exceptions

Economic uncertainty limited merger and acquisition activity in the book business last year, but there were still a number of significant transactions, including Penguin Random House's planned purchase of Simon & Schuster Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Hit with E-book Price Fixing Suit

The law firm that successfully sued Apple and five major publishers for colluding to fix e-book prices in 2011 has filed a class action against Amazon, accusing the company of colluding with the Big Five publishers to eliminate price competition from the e-book market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Pick of the Week: Macmillan shows the hard work away from Covid

As hospitals struggle to cope, Macmillan’s work on cancer care is more vital than ever. Continue reading at Media Week

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Simon & Schuster Cancels Senator Josh Hawley’s Contract

Simon & Schuster have cancelled Josh Hawley's book contract following Wednesday's attack on the U.S. Capitol. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-01-08 17:28:53 UTC ]
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Democracy under siege—and the press, too

On Wednesday afternoon, a mob of right-wing extremists and indignant livestreamers stormed the Capitol. Along their path, they left a note to the journalists who were covering the scene, a message that seemed a harrowing extension of a presidency marked by anti-press virulence: etched into a... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-01-08 13:30:11 UTC ]
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S&S US cancels book from US senator Josh Hawley

Simon & Schuster US has cancelled its forthcoming book from US senator Josh Hawley, following criticism of his actions in relation to the attack on the Capitol Hill building this week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-08 08:17:19 UTC ]
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Josh Hawley: publisher cancels book in wake of Capitol attack

Simon & Schuster says it ‘cannot support senator after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom’Publishers have cancelled a planned book by Senator Josh Hawley, who objected to Joe Biden’s presidential election win and backed baseless claims that the vote was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-08 05:50:17 UTC ]
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S&S Cancels Publication Plans for Book by Sen. Josh Hawley

Simon & Schuster has canceled its planned June publication of 'The Tyranny of Big Tech' by Sen. Josh Hawley, one of the main drivers in the Republican effort to challenge the Electoral College results that led to the attack on the Capitol on Wednesday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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African Literature and Digital Culture

IN THE 21ST CENTURY, digital literary culture originating from the African continent has exploded. I still remember the early years, when Kindles first came into our lives and everyone was weighing in on whether ebooks were going to mean the death of literature. Back then, everything was fresh... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

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Fareed Zakaria on Life After the Pandemic

Zakaria discusses “Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World,” and Margaret MacMillan talks about “War: How Conflict Shaped Us.” Continue reading at The New York Times

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Last-Minute Bookish Gift Ideas

From ebooks to digital prints to subscriptions, here’s a list of last-minute literary gift ideas for readers of all ages. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-12-21 11:39:00 UTC ]
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Happy 10th Birthday, Google Play Books!

Reading books is for nerds, right? Well, that depends on your definition of "nerd," I suppose. While I must confess to not being a regular reader, I greatly admire those that are. Reading is surely a better way to spend time than mindlessly watching sports on TV -- something I am quite guilty of... Continue reading at Betanews

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Commentary: The latest publishing mega-merger might kill off small presses — and literary diversity

The planned merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster may be global but it's bad for books both foreign and domestic. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-12-04 19:25:12 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children's bags two from Dara McAnulty

Macmillan Children’s Books has acquired two non-fiction titles by naturalist and activist Dara McAnulty. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Allegheny County Jail has reversed its policy banning book delivery to its incarcerated population.

Here’s a heartening update to a terrible story: In November, Allegheny County Jail came under fire for instituting a draconian policy banning its incarcerated population from receiving physical books in the mail, only giving them access to 263 pre-approved eBooks on prison-owned tablets. Now,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-03 17:31:58 UTC ]
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S&S pre-empts John Stonehouse biography

Simon & Schuster is to publish a biography of former Labour minister John Stonehouse, who faked his own death in 1974. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-29 23:08:09 UTC ]
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Pacey keeps Open University up to speed as list adapts to post-Covid market

The pandemic has put the kibosh on innumerable events this year, one of which was a big 50th anniversary bash for the Open University Press (OpenUP). Half a century is a good innings for any publisher, but it was to be a particularly celebratory occasion for OpenUP and its boss, head of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Stephanie Purcell joins Bloomsbury

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News Corp CEO Sees Antitrust Concerns in PRH Buy of S&S

Robert Thomson, CEO of HarperCollins parent company News Corp, said during the company's annual meeting that a purchase of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House "will clearly be a serious antitrust issue." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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