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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Indigo fires Canadian publishers' anger over changing terms

Written By: M J Deschamps in Ottawa Publication Date: Fri, 22/07/2011 - 15:02 Canadian publishers have attacked the decision by Indigo Books & Music, the country's biggest bookshop chain, to stock fewer books and evaluate returns on a shorter time frame. They claim it is putting extra... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Conde Nast, Other Publishers Look to Standardize Audience Metrics In Digital Editions

Digital editions, the oft-dubbed “Wild West” of the publishing world, may be charted in the near future. Many publishers are investing large amounts of time and resources to navigating user behavior in tablet editions of magazines, and this data is being used in a variety of ways. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Natmag poaches Grazia publisher Ella Dolphin for Cosmo

Ella Dolphin, the publisher of Bauer Media title Grazia, is to join Cosmopolitan as publishing director. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookseller Group to oppose Amazon/TBD deal

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 09:15 The Bookseller has added its voice to calls for Amazon's acquisition of The Book Depository (TBD) to be referred to the Competition Commission. The Office of Fair Trading's deadline for submissions about the merger ended at... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Association plans second digital survey

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 17:41 The Publishers Association is launching its second digital survey this year and could introduce a quarterly digital survey by 2012. The trade body said the survey came in response to the "significant growth" in digital sales,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst-Owned Magazines Launching Daily Deals With Group Commerce

Hearst-owned magazines is treading on to Groupon's territory with the launch of group-buying discounts, starting off with Road & Track and Car and Driver. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Solzhenitsyn stories head rights deals

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 15/07/2011 - 10:29 A new collection of stories from the late Nobel Prize-winning author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; a début by a former Macmillan, Penguin and Hachette marketer; and Richard Ford’s new novel were among the rights deals signed this... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's publishing "haemorrhaging talent"

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 15/07/2011 - 08:46 The industry is "haemorrhaging talent" as authors and illustrators are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living in the children's sector. Agent Caroline Sheldon said that she estimated that fewer than half of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-textbooks are destroying the old publishing business model

By Tim Conneally, Betanews The business model behind textbooks is completely out of step with what the market today wants, according to the head of Nature Publishing's digital textbook initiatives. Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebury to publish Armistice poetry collection

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst to Launch Cosmo for Guys for iPad

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers seek second half upturn to 2011

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lock, Stock, and Publisher

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Assange Canongate deal "fallen through"

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cinchcast Launches Audio Platform Cloud Solution for Digital Publishers

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gollancz deal to put Encyclopedia of Science Fiction online

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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French publisher La Martinière joins the iBookstore.

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon to Acquire U.K. Online Book Seller and Publisher

Amazon.com has acquired The Book Depository International, a seven-year old online bookseller based in the UK, which also republishes titles that are no longer in print or poorly available. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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