Apple, ebook publishers look to settle EU antitrust dispute

Apple and four major ebook publishers have offered retailers such as Amazon.com the option to set their own prices for ebooks for the next two years in a bid to end an antitrust investigation in the European Union. The European Commission launched the investigation into allegations of cartel price-fixing by Harper Collins, Hachette Livre, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Macmillan and Apple last December. The publishers are accused of colluding with Apple to fix the price of ebooks, forcing up prices for consumers and attempting to squeeze rivals such as Amazon out of the market. The case hinges on so-called “agency pricing”, which allows more control by publishers over retail prices, in particular an unusual “most favored nation” (MFN) clause. Apple, Harper Collins, Hachette Livre, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan have all offered to terminate existing agency agreements and refrain from adopting price MFN clauses for five years. Penguin has not offered any commitments and an investigation into its conduct is ongoing. In addition, retailers would be free to set the retail price of ebooks, offering whatever discounts or promotions they wish, for a two-year period, so long as the total value of discounts does not exceed the total annual amount of commission that the retailer receives from the publisher, reported the E.U.’s Official Journal on Wednesday. This could mean lower prices for consumers thanks to increased competition. However the Commission is asking... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #increased competition #proposed remedies #interested parties #provide feedback

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Apple, ebook publishers look to settle EU antitrust dispute'


Apple Music sets up publishing division as it chases down Spotify

Apple Music has been on its way to overtake Spotify in terms of subscriber base for a while now. The service got a new boss, Oliver Schusser, this past April, as well. Now, Schusser's first major initiative appears to be the launch of Apple's own mus... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple music #publishing division #subscriber base #past april


Digiday Research poll: Apple News dominates publisher focus after Facebook’s news feed changes

Digiday's online poll of publisher executives found that they believe Apple News should be their priority following Facebook's algorithm change. The post Digiday Research poll: Apple News dominates publisher focus after Facebook’s news feed changes appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online poll #apple news #algorithm change


'Ebooks are stupid', says head of one of world's biggest publishers

The chief executive of Hachette Livre, Arnaud Nourry, says the industry has had ‘one or two successes among a hundred failures’ and that ebooks have ‘no creativity’The head of one of the world’s largest book publishers has described the ebook as “a stupid product” that is unlikely to see further... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arnaud nourry #biggest publishers #digital publishing #slight decline #screen fatigue #readers return


Czech Publisher Grada Opens Bookport, an Ebook Subscription Platform

More than a quarter of the roughly 15,000 ebooks available in Czech are on the newly launched Bookport subscription platform, with more titles coming. The post Czech Publisher Grada Opens Bookport, an Ebook Subscription Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #titles coming


Apple said to ready revamped ebooks push against Amazon

Apple is ready to take on Amazon.com in the digital book market again, years after regulators forced the iPhone maker to back down from an earlier effort to challenge the e-commerce giant's lead. Apple is working on a redesigned version of its iBooks ebook reading application for iPhones and... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2018-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #iphone maker #e-commerce giant


Publishers are caught in the crossfire of the Facebook-Apple fracas

A long-awaited test to let publishers sell subscriptions through Facebook has been complicated by Apple. The post Publishers are caught in the crossfire of the Facebook-Apple fracas appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post publishers


Follett Settles Counterfeiting Suit with Publishers

A few months after Follett was sued by three educational publishers charging it with selling counterfeit textbooks, the suit has been dismissed after the company agreed to adopt an anti-counterfeiting best practices program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company agreed


Apple News Lets Publishers Test Serving Ads From Google's DoubleClick

Apple's latest iOS is out, the news app is updated, and for publishers a new ad serving trial is under way with help from an unlikely ally, Google.A select group of publishers are testing ad insertions into their Apple News pages using DoubleClick For Publishers, according to a number of... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2017-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple news #news app #select group #media partners


‘It is harder to differentiate in the platforms’: Publishers want more data, monetization options from Facebook, Google and Apple

Publishers said they want more data sharing, better subscription options and greater flexibility in how articles and ads can be designed within distributed platforms. The post ‘It is harder to differentiate in the platforms’: Publishers want more data, monetization options from Facebook, Google... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #data sharing #distributed platforms #apple appeared #monetization options #greater flexibility


Amazon's Naggar tells publishers to slash ebook prices

Amazon’s publishing chief David Naggar has said publishers should slash their ebook prices to 99p to sell more books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook prices


European Publishing Associations on Geo-Blocking, Ebooks, and the Digital Single Market

On the European Commission's geo-blocking regulations for ebooks, the Italian, Greek, French, and European publishing associations issue words of caution. The post European Publishing Associations on Geo-Blocking, Ebooks, and the Digital Single Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #european commission


EU Publishers: Clean up your cookies or get burned by GDPR

The ticking clock on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) website is a stark warning for digital publishers behind on preparations for the EU’s massive expansion of data privacy rules. The GDPR is coming, and soon but publishers need to reign in the cookies running on their sites if... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #gdpr appeared #digital publishers #ticking clock #sponsored content


As Apple Seeks To Please News Publishers, Users Worry About An Ad Influx

Apple is said to be making it easier for publishers to place ads in its News app and even solicit micropayments, raising concerns about user experience. Today Apple’s News app is relatively uncluttered by ads. Actually there are very few ads anywhere. Part of the reason for that is that... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2017-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news app #raising concerns #user experience #ad tech


Major publishers move to defend Greenpeace in dispute with logging firm

Firms including Penguin Random House and HarperCollins have spoken out about timber company’s ‘dangerous’ moves to quash campaigners’ claims The world’s biggest book publishers have been dragged into a bitter dispute between a US logging company and environmental campaigners Greenpeace. It... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #logging practices #legal action #publishers fear #boreal forest


Delay to EU progress on ebook VAT

There has been a delay to progress on the planned measure to allow VAT on ebooks to be reduced, after the members of the EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) failed to reach an agreement on the proposals. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook vat


Publishers Creating Facebook Instant Articles Can Now Simultaneously Work on Google AMP (Apple News Soon)

The software-development kit for Facebook's Instant Articles media-rich, quick-loading stories from publishers now supports Google AMP, and the social network said support for Apple News is on the way. Partner engineering director Piyush Mangalick said in a Facebook Media blog post that an... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2017-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #enable publishers #apple news


Amazon will no longer strong arm ebook publishers in Europe

The European Commission has accepted Amazon's changes to how it sells its ebooks. Following a 2015 investigation over the retailer's anti-competitive behaviour, Amazon said back in January that it would change its ebook contracts, removing clauses t... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #european commission #ebook contracts


Industry Notes: BookExpo’s ‘First Amendment Resistance’; EU Research Looks at VAT on Ebooks

Publishers' responsibilities with 'controversial authors professing what seem to be unpopular opinion' at BEA, while Brussels gets some perspective on VAT. The post Industry Notes: BookExpo’s ‘First Amendment Resistance’; EU Research Looks at VAT on Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebooks appeared #amendment resistance


In the duopoly’s shadow, Apple News is finding favor with some publishers

While publishers sour on Facebook, they're optimistic about the traffic and subscription growth they're seeing from Apple News. The post In the duopoly’s shadow, Apple News is finding favor with some publishers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers appeared #apple news #finding favor #subscription growth


Caleb Carr’s The Alienist to be published as an ebook for first time

Mulholland UK is publishing Caleb Carr’s debut, The Alienist, and Angel of Darkness for the first time in ebook, as well as three new books by Carr. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |