By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Somebody call the cops -- eh, antitrust authorities. Apple's subscription plan is here, and it's as bad for many, if not most, publishers as rumored. The first of several key sentences from Apple's press announcement: "Publishers may no longer provide links in their apps (to a website, for example) which allow the customer to purchase content or subscriptions outside of the app." That means you Amazon Kindle; before the announcement, all Kindle transactions took place outside the app in a web browser. This change applies to any content, but it's nestled in the subscriptions announcement.Another piece of nastiness: "Apple does require that if a publisher chooses to sell a digital subscription separately outside of the app, that same subscription offer must be made available, at the same price or less, to customers who wish to subscribe from within the app." That rule conceptually would prevent some publishers from extending to existing customers the benefits of a free iPad subscription."So, Apple doesn't prohibit publishers from selling subscriptions outside the app -- how could it and get anyone to offer content? But the company does fix prices. So if publisher A charges 50 bucks a year and wants to offer a holiday or school graduation promotion from its website, the deal must be offered for app subscriptions, too. Remember, Apple collects 30 percent from publishers.No one should misunderstand other terms, as stated in Apple's press release:... Continue reading at 'Betanews'
[ Betanews | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
The iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad. These wonder devices were not given to us from the mind of one man, but two. Now with Steve Jobs gone, Apple's most valuable asset is Jony Ive. Just how valuable? The company would have a hard time recovering if he left, says the man who wrote the book... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The creator of lesbian detective Kate Daniels was downcast when publishers rejected her work. Now, she's won the Polari first book prize for The Murder WallSomething extraordinary happened to me last week. I was outed to the whole wide world, having won the Polari first book prize 2013 for my... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Microsoft is actively looking for a new CEO to replace Steve Ballmer, and one of the potential candidates is Stephen Elop. In an interesting story published earlier today, Bloomberg, citing several unnamed sources, claims that the former boss of Nokia would introduce sweeping changes to... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2013-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing, which launched a general-interest book publishing operation in New York two and a half years ago, is losing its top executive here.Seattle-based Amazon announced Friday that the head of its general-interest publishing division, Larry Kirshbaum, would leave the company Jan. 17... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo removed self-published pornographic titles from their sites and Kobo stopped sales of self-published titles altogether. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The content on Scribd, the San–Francisco based startup that aims to create the digital library of the future, is available on a range of devices, from laptops to smartphones to tablets. But CEO Trip Adler tells Fast Company we won't be reading e–books in our hands in the future––they'll be... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookworms in the UK tired of smuggling flashlights to bed might want to take another look at the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight. After all, you can get one for £49 now that Barnes & Noble has slashed £20 off its retail price -- that's far, far lower than the amount people had to pay at... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In each issue of Distro, Executive Editor Marc Perton publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. There's a very good chance you're reading this on a tablet. Distro is, after all, first and foremost, a tablet magazine. There's also a reasonable chance you're reading this on a computer. Distro... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook sales at Barnes & Noble have continued to drop in the first quarter of its new financial... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N is being eulogized as a 'dead man walking,' but the company still has a firm foundation, including the Nook, and will be with us as long as we still have print. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, the jurist who ruled last month that Apple illegally conspired with five major publishers to raise prices of ebooks, has set a date for the trial that will determine the damages Apple owes. In an order issued this week, Cote said that barring some earlier... Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One part of a proposal to enforce the verdict against Apple for allegedly fixing ebook prices would require Amazon and Barnes & Noble 'buy' buttons in the Apple store, allowing consumers to easily compare ebook costs. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble says it lost less money than it previously reported during the past two years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writing for Bloomberg.com, Virginia Postrel has a counterintuitive suggestion for publishers, Barnes & Noble and tech-savvy retail entrepreneurs: embrace showrooming. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jim Hilt, managing director of Barnes & Noble's European ebook business, said the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Uncertainty has been hovering over Barnes & Noble ever since the retailer first reported that 2012 holiday sales— especially those of its Nook reading devices—were well below expectations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With its reputation on the line, Apple vows to appeal the federal judge's ruling that it conspired with publishers to raise prices.SAN FRANCISCO — A New York federal judge's ruling that Apple Inc. conspired to raise electronic book prices cuts straight to the heart of the company's image as a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's been a rough week for Barnes & Noble. And month. And year. And it may get worse before (if) it gets better. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A federal judge ruled today that Apple Inc. conspired to raise prices on ebooks, ordering a trial to decide what damages that the tech giant should pay.In a 159-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple conspired with a group of five publishers, starting in 2009, to... Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2013-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NEW YORK -- Apple Inc. conspired to raise the prices of ebooks, a judge ruled Wednesday morning, after a trial in which the Department of Justice accused the technology giant of aggressively pressuring publishers to raise prices and weaken Amazon.com. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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