Orwell estate hits back at Amazon's corporate 'doublespeak'

Internet retailer accused of using tactics from Orwell's 1984 in war of words with the publisher HachetteRepresentatives of George Orwell have described Amazon's selective quoting of the Nineteen Eighty-Four author as "dystopian and shameless" and "as close as one can get to the Ministry of Truth and its doublespeak".Amazon turned to Orwell for support in its long-running and public clash over ebook terms with the publisher Hachette at the weekend, comparing their battle over ebook pricing ("We want lower ebook prices. Hachette does not") to the fight Penguin had when it introduced cheap paperbacks in the 1930s. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Amazon misrepresents Orwell and takes on Disney, as the pricing war intensifies (+video)

In a statement about its dispute with publisher Hachette, Amazon cited '1984' author George Orwell – while failing to understand the author's words, critics charged. Meanwhile, Amazon appears to be entering into a dispute with Disney. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon misrepresents Orwell and takes on Disney, as the pricing war intensifies

In a statement about its dispute with publisher Hachette, Amazon cited '1984' author George Orwell – while failing to understand the author's words, critics charged. Meanwhile, Amazon appears to be entering into a dispute with Disney. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon wants you to ask Hachette's CEO for lower ebook prices

Amazon's fight with Hachette over ebook pricing just got extra-personal. Hot on the heels of writers attacking Jeff Bezos' "retaliation," the Amazon Books Team has posted a Readers United site that calls on you to email Hachette CEO Michael Pietsch... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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“Stop Hitting Yourself!”

After months of wielding the stick, Amazon is trying the carrot—or at least pretending to—in its feud with Hachette over ebook pricing. Early this week, it sent a letter to “a few authors and agents” with a sugarcoated proposal to “take authors out of the middle” of the dispute. So long as... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon speaks – finally – about its dispute with publisher Hachette

Amazon senior vice president of Kindle content Russ Grandinetti told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon is acting 'in the long term interest of our customers.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Amazon slugs it out with the big publishers, authors are left cowering | Adam Fletcher & Paul Hawkins

And whoever comes out on top, you can bet the poor old writer won't be any better offA few weeks ago, we published a book called Denglisch for Better Knowers, a (hopefully) humorous book about how the English language could be improved by taking new words and concepts from German. Like "ear... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon cuts delays on JK Rowling novel after consumer pressure

The Silkworm, written as Robert Galbraith, was advertised with long delivery delays, but web retailer appears to have backed down· Review: The Silkworm by JK Rowling as Robert Galbraith· Digested read: The Silkworm by Robert GalbraithAmazon.com appears to have bowed to consumer pressure and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon pulls Warner Bros movies from sales as trade dispute expands

Already in fracas with publisher Hachette, retailer pulls pre-orders such as The Lego Movie to pressure the studio over pricingFirst they came for Harry Potter's author, and now they have come for your Lego. Amazon has expanded its trade dispute with publisher Hachette by adding Warner Bros to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Colbert Declares War on Amazon: Watch the Clip

Our Clip of the Week comes to you in the form of two back-to-back segments from Wednesday night's "The Colbert Report," in which Stephen Colbert first outlines the ongoing battle between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group over ebook pricing, and then, together with his guest, National Book... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon (+video)

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon tells customers to shop elsewhere in Hachette row

Row between world's largest distributor of books and publisher over ebook royalties shows no sign of being resolvedAmazon has advised readers to buy from other retailers after breaking its silence over a high-profile dispute with the publisher Hachette, which has drawn in the British authors Ian... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon steps up publisher spat

Amazon has said a bitter dispute with publisher Hachette, which has led to a block on pre-orders, will not be resolved soon. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Much at Stake in Amazon-HBG Fight

Among the issues in dispute between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group are negotiations over new ebook terms, sources familiar with the matter said. And publishers also see the latest fight with Amazon as part of an ongoing battle to retain retail diversity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian E-Book Consent Agreements Suspended

A strong protest from Kobo convinced Canada’s Competition Tribunal to suspend an agreement announced last month between four multinational publishers and Canada’s Competition Bureau regarding ebook pricing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In appeal, Apple says ebook ruling will harm consumers

Apple had no knowledge that publishers were engaged in a conspiracy in December 2009 or at any other point, the company said in its appeal against a district court ruling which found Apple and five major U.S. publishers had conspired to fix ebook prices.The district court’s findings show that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ether for Authors: Is the Dust-Up Over Kobo’s Devices Fair?

In Publishing Perspectives' Ether for Authors, Porter Anderson looks at controversy over Kobo's new push, at ebook pricing, Frankfurt Academy's CONTEC, and more. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple ebooks judge to limit antitrust remedies

The federal judge who last month found Apple Inc. liable for fixing ebook prices said she plans to limit the remedies sought by the U.S. to ensure they "rest as lightly as possible" on the way the company does business.U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan Tuesday said she intends to... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Loses E-Book Price Lawsuit, Faces Damages

A judge has just ruled that Apple is guilty of conspiring to raise ebook prices. The federal antitrust suit against Apple over ebook pricing has come to a conclusion: The judge has decided that Apple conspired with five major book publishers to artificially push prices up. Apple denied the... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The War Between Publishers and Libraries Over Ebooks: An Overview

At the heart of the debate between publishers and libraries over ebook pricing and lending is a simple question: do libraries increase book sales or cannibalize them? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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