Romance writer's bid to stop authors from using word 'cocky' fails in court

Self-published author Faleena Hopkins asserted her right to the word, but judge calls attempt to stop other authors using it ‘weak’ Romance writers around the world can breathe a sigh of relief after a US court ruled that they can continue to use the adjective “cocky” in their book titles, after one author attempted to stop other writers from using the word.In September 2017, self-published author Faleena Hopkins filed a trademark claim for the word “cocky” in relation to a romance novel series, which was registered by the US Patent and Trademark Office in April 2018. Only series can be registered as trademarks, not individual titles, and common words can’t be registered at all, unless the public associates it with a particular use. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #book titles #trademark office #individual titles

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Poison pens: leading writers call for overhaul of UK’s Society of Authors

Literary world riven by conflict as trade union is accused of inappropriately taking sides in culture warIt is a literary row that threatens to consume the very organisation set up to protect authors’ rights. And, in spite of the involvement of three prominent names in children’s books, it has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-08-21 09:00:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #literary world #management committee #cast members #dark materials #philip pullman #jk rowling #trade union #protect authors


‘This must be stopped’: US begins court battle against publishing giants’ merger

The justice department is seeking to block the $2.2bn merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & SchusterThe government and publishing titan Penguin Random House exchanged opening salvos in a federal antitrust trial Monday as the US seeks to block the biggest US book publisher from... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-08-01 16:24:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #penguin random house #book publisher #biden administration #justice department #publishing giants


Review: With 'Yerba Buena,' a top L.A. author of queer YA romance is all grown up

Nina LaCour's first novel for adults, "Yerba Buena," follows a promising and complicated lesbian love story in the mold of Sarah Waters. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-05-26 13:00:31 UTC ]
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Want to help stop book bans? The Authors Guild has tools for you.

If you’ve been paying attention to local news in the past year, you’ve likely noticed the concerning wave of book bans sweeping the nation. Books by authors of color; books that acknowledge historical atrocities; books featuring LGBTQ+ characters; sex education books for teens; all are under... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-02-09 19:49:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #authors guild #local news #paying attention


Think you know 'Horse Girls'? These writers would like a word

A new anthology offers essays by Jane Smiley, Carmen Maria Machado and many others that explode the popular trope of white, privileged equestrians. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-08-11 13:30:15 UTC ]
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Rise of 'hybrid authors' as writers buy back their rights

The “rise of the hybrid author” was discussed at London Book Fair, with the prediction that writers will increasingly buy back rights to their own books from publishers.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-24 22:00:58 UTC ]
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'I believe in romance': remembering Valerie Parv, the Australian author who sold 34 million books

The author of 70 novels translated into 29 languages, Valerie Parv has passed away just before her 70th birthday. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-04-30 05:02:04 UTC ]
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Author J J Bola and agency Pontas launch prize for under-represented writers

The Pontas Literary & Film Agency and author J J Bola are partnering to create a mentoring prize for unagented, unpublished, under-represented writers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-02 23:50:57 UTC ]
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Authors Guild urges DOJ to stop Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House merger

Several organizations sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Friday urging it to stop Penguin Random House from purchasing Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-01-29 22:12:00 UTC ]
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YA author James launches The Climate Fiction Writers League

Author Lauren James has established The Climate Fiction Writers League, a group of over 50 international published authors writing about climate change.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-07 22:31:59 UTC ]
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Scotland's National Book Awards postponed to 2021 after funding bid fails

Scotland's National Book Awards will not go ahead this year and will be delayed until 2021 after a funding application to Creative Scotland was unsuccessful, its organisers have confirmed. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-23 04:05:52 UTC ]
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Authors of colour made up 19.6% of YA writers in 2019

Authors of colour made up 19.6% of Young Adult writers published in 2019, a huge leap on previous years, according to new research. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-28 14:25:59 UTC ]
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Spread the Word launches London Writers Awards 2021

Submissions are now open for Spread the Word's 2021 London Writers Awards, which this year focus on developing authors of literary fiction, commercial fiction, YA/children’s fiction and narrative non-fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-18 03:44:16 UTC ]
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Society of Authors gives £185,000 in grants to writers

The Society of Authors (SoA) had awarded grants totalling £185,000 to writers including Derek Owusu and John Mapanje for their works in progress. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-06 14:46:48 UTC ]
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SFF authors are protesting Saudi Arabia’s cynical bid to host the 2022 WorldCon.

The science fiction world is having a bit of a week. Today, New Zealand, the host of this year’s World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon), virtually kicked off one of the world’s most popular sci-fi events. New Zealanders had been preparing for the international convention, which normally... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-29 17:44:32 UTC ]
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WORD Bookstore and Authors Team Up for Charity

All this week WORD Bookstores in Brooklyn and New Jersey will donate 10% of the purchase prices of books by a rotating group of authors to a different charity each day. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer to headline virtual Writers' Weekend

Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series, will be the keynote speaker at the virtual Writers' Weekend, a four-day conference that will now be live streamed from 9th-12th July.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-15 23:55:15 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Finds Writers Are Losing Significant Income

A survey by the Authors Guild of its members found a majority of authors had already lost significant income due to the ongoing pandemic, led by lost fees from appearances and writing opportunities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon France ordered to stop non-essential deliveries following court hearing

Amazon is to close six of its warehouses in France, after a court ruling stopped the delivery of non-essential items during the pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-15 21:29:21 UTC ]
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The Ghost Writer: An Author Imagines a Letter From Her Late Grandmother

“Nobody Will Tell You This but Me,” a memoir by Bess Kalb, traces her family history from the Russian pogroms to the American dream. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-03-17 09:00:08 UTC ]
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