Spotify accuses Apple of impeding its fledgling audiobook business

Spotify launched its audiobook business just last month with 300,000 titles, but is now saying that Apple is engaging in "anticompetitive" behavior that is impinging the new business, the company wrote in a blog post. It said that Apple rejected its audiobook purchasing system three times due to a violation of its rules. To comply, it had to hide the price of the audiobooks and do sales outside of the main app via an email link.All of that makes it harder for Spotify to compete, as users can't easily compare prices. "[This] harms not only consumers, but, this time, also authors and publishers who now find themselves under Apple’s thumb." It's also highly inconvenient for buyers used to simply clicking on a link to buy an audiobook.Spotify's audiobooks could have easily been accepted if the company had followed the App Store rules, Apple told The New York Times. "We provided them with clear guidance on how to resolve the issue, and approved their app after they made changes that brought it into compliance," an Apple spokesperson said.Spotify could also have sold its audiobooks through the App Store's purchasing system, but Apple would then take a 30 percent cut — putting Spotify's audiobooks at a considerable disadvantage against Apple Books. "With our Audiobooks launch, Apple has once again proven just how brazen it is willing to be with its App Store rules, constantly shifting the goalposts to disadvantage their competitors," said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.Spotify is already... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-10-26 07:02:10 UTC ]
News tagged with: #app store #european commission #audiobook

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Global woes unlikely to hit US business at Frankfurt

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 10/10/2011 - 08:43 Leading US publishers are looking forward to this week's Frankfurt Book Fair, with both Simon & Schuster and Hachette bringing more editors than they did last year. Hachette US chairman and c.e.o. David Young will be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster #david young


Book Business Has Big Hopes for Biography of Steve Jobs

Industry experts said the biography of Steve Jobs could easily sell millions of copies in print, audio and ebook editions. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business #steve jobs #industry experts #ebook editions


Peet accuses politicians of "weasel words" over libraries

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 05/10/2011 - 08:50 Author Mal Peet has accused politicians talking about the importance of community of using "weasel words" unless they defend libraries. Peet was speaking at a Publishers Association (PA) and Authors' Licensing &... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #weasel words


Cornerstone buys business book from ex-Tesco c.e.o.

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 03/10/2011 - 08:05 Former Tesco c.e.o. Sir Terry Leahy has written a business book for Cornerstone. Random House Business Books publishing director Nigel Wilcockson bought world rights to Ten Management Lessons by Sir Terry through Danny... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business book


Summit Business Media Sells Off Highline Data

Summit Business Media has sold Highline Data--its insurance information services unit--to SNL Financial LC. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Forbes new IPG business development manager

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 27/09/2011 - 09:00 The Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) has appointed Imogen Forbes, previously communications officer at the Publishers Licensing Society, to the newly created role of business development manager. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Check Out What You Can Check Out at a Wisconsin Library: The Apple iPad

While many libraries are now checking out ebooks and digital audiobooks in addition to physical media, the Eau Claire library is taking things a step further by lending out iPads themselves. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple ipad #digital audiobooks #physical media


‘Business as usual’ for Frankfurt Book Fair

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 16/09/2011 - 16:21 Publishers are predicting a busy Frankfurt, reporting full meeting schedules. However, given the tough economic climate, there was a prevailing mood of caution. Hachette UK rights director Jason Bartholomew said: “Every year... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Six on "stimulating" business book shortlist

Publication Date: Thu, 15/09/2011 - 08:45 Titles exploring the rise and fall of the American dollar, the boom in cities and the economics of poverty have been shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Six Ways Amazon Book Streaming Could Help Small Business

Amazon's rumoured streaming-book service would be great for businesses, students, and educators. Here's why. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble predicts £1.1bn sales from Nook businesses

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 30/08/2011 - 15:39 Barnes & Noble has said it expects its Nook ebook business to earn it $1.8bn (£1.1bn) by the end of its latest financial year. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will New Apple Chief Mean Shift for Publishers?

Apple, its products adored by consumers all over, has nonetheless had a complicated relationship with publishers, who have battled with the tech giant over its intractable position involving the sale of content on its devices. But those who have railed against Apple's hard-headedness are... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marinker to retire from W H Smith's travel business

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Wed, 24/08/2011 - 08:25 Simon Marinker, managing director of W H Smith's travel shops, is to retire from the business at the end of this year. He will be replaced by Simon Smith, chief operating officer of the travel business, who will report... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #travel business #travel shops #report directly


US law firms target Apple and US publishers over ebooks

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 23/08/2011 - 09:10 Several US law firms have now filed lawsuits against Apple and major US publishers alleging what one described as a "horizontal conspiracy" to fix and increase the price of ebooks in the US. One firm also now moved for the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reader’s Digest Reaches Sub Deal with Apple

The digital edition of Reader’s Digest is now available for purchase through the App Store, the publisher announced today. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital edition #readers digest #app store


Apple's Device Dominance Drives E-book Price-fixing Lawsuit

A class-action lawsuit accuses Apple of working with publishers to raise the cost of ebooks. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Real Apple iPad Killer App? Reading

Steve Jobs was wrong. People love to read on the iPad. Let’s hope newspaper publishers don’t ruin it for everyone. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon bypasses Apple rules with Cloud Reader app

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 10/08/2011 - 15:45 Amazon has launched a Kindle Cloud Reader app, just two weeks after it, along with other ebooksellers, was forced to remove links to its Kindle store from its native app by Apple. The company said the new tool could be used... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle store #kindle books


Apple and US publishers face agency lawsuit

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 10/08/2011 - 09:40 FIve US publishers and Apple have been named in a US lawsuit alleging the companies "illegally fix prices of electronic books" and that the five publishers "forced Amazon to abandon its discount pricing and adhere to a new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Transparency' the new watchword for business

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 08:50 Publishers must tighten up their business practices across the developing world or risk falling foul of new anti-bribery legislation, senior figures from the international book trade have said. The Bribery Act, which came... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business practices #developing world #civil settlement #fraud office #southern sudan