Anyone who has been taking advantage of Amazon's liberal return policy regarding e-books could soon be in for a shock. That's because following discussions with the Authors Guild, Amazon has agreed to block automatic returns on digital books that are more than 10 percent read. Currently, the problem for authors on Amazon is that customers can return e-books online anytime within seven days of purchase no matter how much content has been consumed. That means if you can you read a book in less than a week, you can simply return it when you're done for free, resulting in a loss of profits for the author. However, under the new policy which is scheduled to go into effect sometime before the end of the year, Amazon will begin blocking automatic returns on e-books that are more than 10 read, which will then need to be reviewed by a representative to ensure that the return is genuine. The Authors Guild says the goal is to create a deterrent for people who abuse Amazon's current policy and to prevent people from treating Amazon's e-book marketplace as an ersatz library. Issues with Amazon's e-book return policy date back more than a decade, but had recently come under fire again after lifehacks about the company's guidelines began circulating online. And according to NPR, in some cases, abuse of the company's return policy even resulted in some authors having negative earnings balances, which typically happened when customers returned an e-book after the creator had been paid out... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2022-09-23 19:10:20 UTC ]
Despite the advances in digital books and storytelling technology, Penguin executive Jeff Gomez says that publishers have so far focused on the wrong things. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digitization proponents and library advocates hailed the October 10 decision in the Authors Guild v. HathiTrust case as an unequivocal, emphatic victory for fair use. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com has begun telling customers that they may be eligible to receive a refund on ebooks... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeff Bezos, in the U.K. to launch the Kindle Paperwhite and Amazon's Lending Library service, has told the BBC that his firm makes no money on its Kindles. "We make money from when people use our devices, not when people buy our devices," he told technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. "That... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2012-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Book Tokens is to launch an e-gifting card for digital books with the content to be... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Not content at stopping with its recent European tour, Google Play Books has made the trip to Japan and brought back a handful of new features. In addition to support for reading Japanese books in a vertical, right-to left layout, Mountain view now lets users tap on names of geographical spots... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Inc., the world's biggest technology company, and four publishers offered to overhaul pricing models for digital books to allay European Union concerns that they blocked competition. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's a big day in the world of ebooks, and not just for the crew at Amazon. Today, Judge Denise Cote approved settlement terms for three of the publishers accused by the Justice Department of price fixing. Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins each agreed to settle with the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild is seeking more than $2 billion in damages from Google Books – which may make this one of the most expensive copyright damages cases in litigation history. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After a round of key filings, two Authors Guild cases challenging Google’s ambitious library book-scanning program are on schedule for early fall trial dates. Final reply briefs were filed July 27 for the Authors Guild v. HathiTrust, with that case now fully briefed and all but set for a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild is encouraging its 8,500 members to submit comments against the proposed settlement between the Department of Justice and three large publishers. The settlement, the guild argues, will only benefit Amazon. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild says Google doesn't have permission to reproduce portions of books for their digital library. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple's Steve Jobs played a key role in a price-fixing plan with five ebook publishers, federal and state officials say in antitrust lawsuits.WASHINGTON — Former Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs was a key player in a conspiracy with five major book publishers to drive up the price of... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A bit buried in last week’s iPad 3 excitement was the news that Apple, along with five major American book publishers, was given notice by the Justice Department that it’s about to be sued for colluding to raise prices. A tech giant can afford to shrug off something as petty as an anti-trust... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2012-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple can improve education and empower authors to create ever-better digital books without limiting customers. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Today's Wall Street Journal takes a look at a new lineup of "enhanced" digital books that incorporate music, video and high-tech graphics. But as one Wharton expert notes, the market for these elaborate productions remains to be seen. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton
[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2012-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Even as more consumers buy dedicated digital reading devices and tablets, a hybrid market for books is developing in which readers will buy both print and digital books. That was one of the main conclusions from Verso Digital’s “2011 Survey of Book-Buying Behavior,” presented by the company’s... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The wide world of publishing is changing; everyone will tell you that. But if you ask what about publishing is changing, youll likely hear about the decline of physical books or the growth of digital books. And while the loss of bookstores and the latest, lightest e-reader make for compelling... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The wide world of publishing is changing; everyone will tell you that. But if you ask what about publishing is changing, youll likely hear about the decline of physical books or the growth of digital books. And while the loss of bookstores and the latest, lightest e-reader make for compelling... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 15/11/2011 - 10:12 The US Authors Guild has accused Amazon.com of "boldly breaching its contracts" with publishers by signing them up to its new Kindle Lending programme without permission. It claimed it is doing this to drive sales of its Kindle... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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