The Guardian view on changes to copyright law: book lovers beware | Editorial

A government proposal to ease restrictions on the sale of imported cultural works risks harming a world-class industryThe hoopla around the release of Sally Rooney’s new novel on Tuesday – with bookshops opening early, and queues of shoppers eager to lay their hands on Beautiful World, Where Are You – has contributed to the image of a publishing industry in rude health. Last year had the highest sales in eight years. Yet authors, bricks-and-mortar bookshops and publishers alike fear that the industry faces a powerful new threat, if cheap editions legitimately produced for an overseas market are allowed to be sold in the UK. Kazuo Ishiguro, Bernardine Evaristo and others have warned that the effect on writers would be devastating.EU regulations meant that UK producers could prevent the importation of such books into Britain; in the wake of Brexit, the government is considering reversing this. A report proposes to change how we deal with the exhaustion of intellectual property rights. The document, from a taskforce headed by Iain Duncan Smith, Theresa Villiers and George Freeman, argues that, apart from limited exceptions, “in general, protectionist use of IP rights should be resisted”. It suggests that we liberalise parallel import laws “to reduce prices and increase choice for consumers” (in notes from a familiar Tory hymn sheet). This would mean that a non-UK publisher, say, that has legitimately bought the rights to publish Harry Potter, could then sell those books back... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-09-07 18:00:33 UTC ]
News tagged with: #kazuo ishiguro #bernardine evaristo #limited exceptions #reduce prices #publishing industry

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PW Picks: Books of the Week, June 9, 2014

This week, literature's most important obscenity trial, a haunted jail, and what it means to be a woman writer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries can digitize books without consent, says top EU court advisor

European libraries are allowed to digitize books without the consent of the rights holder, the senior advisor to Europe’s top court said Thursday.The European Copyright Directive does not prevent the digitization of books in a library’s collection if those books are made accessible to the public... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers may hate Amazon, but the retailer may be helping us read more books

Amazon.com's negotiations with publisher Hachette Books Group have sparked a wave of anger toward the e-commerce giant from authors and readers alike. Several authors and analysts have spoken out, saying Amazon is a threat to traditional publishers. Perhaps. But whatever is going on in the... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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RosettaBooks Debuts Mobile E-book App

E-book publisher RosettaBooks is launching an interactive e-reading app for mobile phones and tablets that allows consumers to buy an inventory of backlist classics from Rosetta's retail partners. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jaron Lanier to Receive 2014 Peace Prize from German Book Trade

Jaron Lanier will receive the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his writing and advocacy about 'the dangers involved when human beings are reduced to digital categories.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Books at BEA 2014: Photos from the Show

Three days of books, authors, giveaways, and controlled chaos: join us on our annual photo tour of highlights from BookExpo America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From Ducks to Bells: Religion Publishers Trumpet Big Books at BEA

Religion publishers showcased big new books and previewed forthcoming titles—including the Duck Dynasty patriarch's autobiography and a VeggieTales comic book series--at BookExpo America in New York May 23-31. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Game of Thrones': Will the book series stretch to eight novels?

George R.R. Martin's editor recently said that she 'begin[s] to wonder]' if Martin's story can be wrapped up in seven books.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PwC Predicts Slow Growth In Book Segment

In its 15th annual report, total book revenue in the U.S. is projected to rise to $37.04bn in 2018, and China will become the second largest book market in 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Einhorn Joining Flatiron Books

Amy Einhorn, who recently left her eponymous imprint at Penguin Random House, is joining Macmillan’s Flatiron Books imprint as senior v-p and publisher. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lawrence novel to Freight Books

Freight Books has acquired rights to a debut novel by Scottish food writer Sue Lawrence. Adrian... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One Direction fanfic author inks worldwide book deal

Following the success of Anna Todd's After series, the wildly popular stories starring the boy band will be published at the end of the year Is fan fiction something to be feared? And where did it all begin?Simon & Schuster have inked a deal for worldwide rights to One Direction fanfic.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scenes from the Tehran International Book Fair

Writing for The Guardian last month, Simon Tisdall described the scene at the Tehran International Book Fair, where female skin on book covers is frowned upon. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-books to outsell print by 2018

Printed books will be outsold by ebooks by 2018, a new report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers suggests. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Road Buys Premier Digital E-book Line

Open Road Integrated Media has added more than 300 titles to its catalogue, acquiring the ebook list from Premier Digital Publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Stars of These Young Adult Books Swear, Struggle, And Generally Act Like Real Teens

New middle-grade and YA publisher In This Together Media aims to offer stories with more diverse and realistic representations of kids, especially girls.In the new novel Aspen by Rebekah Crane, the teenage title character is an awkward, artsy kid who gets into a car accident that kills the most... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pooh bear tops favourite book poll

Winnie the Pooh is named as the best-loved children's book of the last 150 years, with the most contemporary publication in the list, The Gruffalo, coming fifth. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Igloo Books appoints Bell as c.o.o.

IglooBooks has appointed Andrew Bell as its new chief operating officer (c.o.o.).   Bell... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of June 2, 2014

SMP inks Antoinette, Coleman in major deal and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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MIP 2014: On Digital Books and the New Subscription Economy

New research on subscription ebook models from BISG shows publishers are still reticent, while consumers who embrace the model continue to buy books. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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