The Justice Department has formally decided to sue Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillian, Penguin and Simon & Schuster over alleged ebook price-rigging. Apple and Macmillian have already denied any wrongdoing, saying that the agreements were enhancing competition in an industry previously dominated by Amazon. The case centers around a deal to switch to agency pricing, where the vendor takes a 30 percent cut of each sale rather than the wholesale model which allows stores to sell books at rock-bottom prices. It was previously believed that the publishers had cut back-room deals with the Government agency after bowing to pressure to withdraw Cupertino's "favored nation" status. If successful, the DoJ will allow Amazon and Barnes and Noble amongst others to return to the wholesale model to sell best-sellers at a loss, something that the big five are desperate to avoid, and will look to fight the battle in court. Update: The PDF of the DoJ's filing is now available online -- it makes for fascinating reading. Update 2: Bloomberg is now reporting that Simon & Schuster, Lagardère SCA's Hachette Book Group and HarperCollins have settled with the DoJ over unspecified terms. Hasty!Justice Department formally charges Apple, big five publishers in ebook price fixing case (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Bloomberg, Department of Justice filing (PDF) | Email this | Comments Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Not being able to control access to content as users bypass the paywall is a major challenge facing publishers. This is according to new research carried out by MPP Global Solutions as part of its latest webinar on the future of digital publishing m ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are digital sellers undermining the move to automated buying? For a long time, online publishers have worried that the shift to programmatic would undercut their premium business. Some have even created their own private exchanges and are c ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Porter Anderson looks at the Frankfurt Book Fair, at Sprint Beyond the Book and Book Sprints, at pen names, and more in Ether for Authors this week. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo has said pornographic ebook material appeared alongside children’s literature on the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As digital publishing slowly but surely comes to eclipse traditional, printed media a big question arises: what happens to the publishing schedule when there are no fixed dealines? This is a problem being tackled head on by the Financial Time ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Andrews McMeel Publishing has moved quickly to produce and promote Lang Leav’s Love & Misadventure, a 176-page volume containing 75 poems, as well as prose and illustrations, in which the author ruminates upon the highs and lows that inevitably accompany romantic relationships. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon removes abuse-themed ebooks from its Kindle Store after a report highlights titles depicting rape, incest and bestiality. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ed Nawotka examines the publishing industry's changing relationship with data and how that might or might not impact the way publishers acquire and sell books. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author of Morrissey Dr Gavin Hopps and former literary editor of The Times Erica Wagner, discuss the decision made by Penguin to classify Morrissey's new autobiography as a classic. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster will distribute Yilin Press ebooks to Chinese readers around the world. The distribution agreement was signed at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is something rotten in the world of academic publishing? Yes, if you read a blockbuster piece in the latest issue of Science magazine showing how many open–access journals have little or no quality control, and apparently put hard cash (in the shape of author contributor fees) before... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At this year’s fair, piracy has been a noticeably absent topic, replaced by a new, more pressing concern for publishers in the digital age: pricing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In what is rumored to be a deal worth $500,000, Jennifer Brehl at HarperCollins’s William Morrow imprint bought North American rights to Tina Seskis’s novel, One Step Too Far. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The publishing industry is in the midst of a rapid, tech-fueled period of change, but what does that change mean for the future of the business? That was the question posed to an opening panel at the 2013 Frankfurt Book Fair: What Is a Publisher Now? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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And even better, Amazon's Whispersync technology picks up where you left off no matter whether you're reading, listening, or mixing the two. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new analysis of ISBN data by Bowker found that the number of self-published books in 2012 rose 59% over 2011, growing to over 391,000 titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Publishing Perspectives team attended CONTEC Frankfurt and Publishers Launch at the Frankfurt Book Fair to find out what the crowds were buzzing about. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the annual conference of the International STM Association just before the Frankfurt Book Fair, Jim Griffin advised publishers to get serious about exploiting the rights they own. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There is a revolution afoot in publishing, but it might not be what you think. As the print vs. digital battle continues to play out, self-publishing continues to gain momentum and influence in the industry. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Under one of the more comprehensive trade deals with a Chinese publishing house, S&S will distribute ebooks of a broad cross-section of Yilin Press’s Mandarin language titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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