iPad is a devil's deal for publishers

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Apple's approach to magazine and newspaper subscriptions and third-party ebook sales stink of the kind of practices that got Microsoft into trouble with trustbusters on two continents during the late 1990s and early 2000s. A year ago, publishers embraced iPad as the savior of their industry. Now iPad looks like a devil's deal instead.Trouble started three days ago, when Sony said that Apple rejected its Reader software from the App Store in a policy change. Apple responded that there is no policy change. Oh? Well, if there is no overt policy change, it is effectively one of enforcement. Either way, the demands Apple is placing on publishers is too much, and arguably being made from a monopoly position. Essentially, the company wants sales to go through the App Store, which would compel the likes of Amazon and Sony to sell ebooks indirectly through Apple and would prohibit magazine and newspaper publishers from offering existing subscribers the benefits of iPad editions without paying more.Policy Change by Another NameLet's start by identifying what is or is not a policy change. Yesterday, during News Corp.'s The Daily Launch, Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of Internet Services, said that "You'll hear an announcement from us very soon for other news publications." That suggests the policy for subscriptions, at least, isn't clear -- if Apple still has something to announce. Regarding content sales, Sony surely seemed surprised about its Reader... Continue reading at 'Betanews'

[ Betanews | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #bad business #barnes noble #fight back #windows pcs #copyright betanews

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Canada's largest newspaper publisher cuts jobs and merges newsrooms

90 staff to go as Postmedia deals with falling revenue by creating joint operationsCanada’s largest newspaper chain, Postmedia Network, is cutting 90 staff and merging newsrooms to cope with declining revenue and heavy indebtedness.In Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa – cities where... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ukrainian Publishers Inspired by Expert Training in Tbilisi

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing giant George Weidenfeld dies aged 96

Towering figure in British publishing, who worked with authors from Harold Wilson to Vladimir Nabokov, remained engaged with the business until very recently“I try not to think that I might not be here when some of my projects come to fruition”: a 2009 interview with Lord WeidenfeldLord George... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers scramble to prepare for Google’s fast mobile pages initiative

Publishers initially welcomed Google's fast-loading articles format, as a way to compete on mobile devices. But with the launch of Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP, just weeks away, it doesn't support all ad formats yet, which limits their ability to monetize it. As with Facebook and Apple, the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Infographic: How Publishers Are Navigating the Brave New World of Ad Blockers

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How brands and publishers are using Facebook Messenger

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[ Digiday | 2016-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge Tosses Retailers’ Suit Against Apple, Publishers

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of January 18, 2016

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3 Reasons UK Publishers Are Not Buying into Diversity

Trying to instill diversity into the UK publishing industry is like “working on a car while it is still running,“ says Bobby Nayyar. The answer, he asserts, can only be entrepreneurship. The post 3 Reasons UK Publishers Are Not Buying into Diversity appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

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[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scalability, Access the Keys for Private Equity Publishing Acquisitions

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canada's largest newspaper publisher reveals revenue falls

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[ The Guardian | 2016-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Post-Lawsuit, HC Publishing 'Julie of the Wolves' E-book

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