Valve fails to get out of paying its EU geo-blocking fine

Valve has failed to convince a court that it didn't infringe EU law by geo-blocking activation keys, according to a new ruling. The company argued that, based on copyright law, publishers had the right to charge different prices for games in different countries. However, the EU General Court confirmed that its geo-blocking actions "infringed EU competition law"and that copyright law didn't apply."Copyright is intended only to ensure for the right holders concerned protection of the right to exploit commercially the marketing or the making available of the protected subject matter, by the grant of licences in return for payment of remuneration," it wrote in a statement. "However, it does not guarantee them the opportunity to demand the highest possible remuneration or to engage in conduct such as to lead to artificial price differences between the partitioned national markets."The original charges centered around activation keys. The commission said Valve and five publishers (Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax) agreed to use geo-blocking so that activation keys sold in some countries — like Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary and Latvia — would not work in other member states. That would prevent someone in, say, Germany buying a cheaper key in Latvia, where prices are lower. However, doing so violates the EU's Digital Single Market rules, which enforces an open market across the EU. The five developers were given a reduced fine of €7.8 million (over $9.4... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-09-27 12:20:53 UTC ]
News tagged with: #koch media #zenimax agreed #czech republic #member states #germany buying #cheaper key #open market #reduced fine #full €1 #locking keys #region locks #local laws #original €1 #ten days #copyright law

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Valve fails to get out of paying its EU geo-blocking fine'


Trade pays tribute to 'icon' Gary Rhodes

The industry has paid tribute to the "forward-thinking rebel” TV chef and author Gary Rhodes who died this week aged 59. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-27 23:26:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paid tribute


Educational Publishers File Suit to Block Sale of Pirated E-books

The country's largest educational publishers have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop pirate sites from illegally selling their e-books and have won a temporary restraining order. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pirated e-books #block sale


SoA calls on government to commit to future EU copyright law

Ahead of Brexit and the imminent General Election, the Society of Authors has called for a commitment from the next government to follow future EU copyright law and the EU’s Digital Single Market Strategy, and to remain within Creative Europe or else increase domestic funding for the arts. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-21 19:26:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #soa calls #copyright law


Is Chuck Palahniuk Too Big to Fail?

With a new book, a new publisher, and a new agent, Chuck Palahniuk is feeling unusually good for a man who’s just survived one of the toughest stretches of his career. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chuck palahniuk


The open access shift at UWA Publishing is an experiment doomed to fail

The notion that a respected publishing house can be replaced by open access publishing is disproved by examining other recent examples, such as the now-closed University of Adelaide Press. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2019-11-11 01:43:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uwa publishing


Translations Pay Off for Amazon

Amazon Crossing, Amazon’s publishing imprint focused on literary translation, is the most prolific publisher of translated literature in the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary translation #translated literature #publishing imprint


Bernardine Evaristo on the Illusion of Writer’s Block

Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other, which recently won the Booker Prize, is out now from Grove Atlantic. We asked her about writers’ block, her favorite books, and more. * Who do you most wish would read your book? Oprah. I don’t know if her book club has ever featured a novel or book... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-05 09:49:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bernardine evaristo #recently won #booker prize #grove atlantic #black britain #book club


Colleagues pay tribute to journalist and 'lioness' Deborah Orr

Columnist, editor and author hailed as ‘fearless’, after her death at the age of 57Friends and colleagues have responded to the death of the journalist and author Deborah Orr with a flood of tributes, describing the longtime Guardian columnist as fearless, hilarious, and “a lioness in a world... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-21 15:54:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #deborah orr #world full #memoir


Publishing Perspectives Talks: Executive Women on Pay and Bias in the Book Business

Amid what Amazon Publishing's Mikyla Bruder describes as 'the unconscious bias you're confronted with every day,' panelists call for equal pay for women. The post Publishing Perspectives Talks: Executive Women on Pay and Bias in the Book Business appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-18 04:27:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #unconscious bias #equal pay #amazon publishing #book business


Australian Booksellers Block Sales of Ronan Farrow’s Book

“Catch and Kill” was pulled from two of Australia’s biggest online book retailers amid legal threats from the former National Enquirer editor who features prominently in the book. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-10-16 14:44:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ronan farrow #features prominently #online book


Adapt or fail: The shifting nature and evolution of customer identity

In the past, the customer journey was thought to be, or at least accepted as, primarily linear — meaning customers followed a predictable path to purchase over and over.  For example, an individual might see a commercial, research the product online and head into the store to purchase it. It... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-10 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #making sense #marketing ecosystem #marketing strategy #innovative methods #reach audiences #digital content


Hachette award nominations for Ethnicity Pay Gap report and flexible working

Hachette UK has been nominated for two HR awards, recognising its Ethnicity Pay Gap report and flexible working policies. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-08 14:50:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #flexible working #hachette uk #hachette


David Cameron's memoir fails to top Tony Blair’s in first week sales

For the Record, the former PM’s account of his time in office sold close to 21,000 copies in its first week, behind Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, which topped 100,000Almost 21,000 people rushed out to buy a copy of David Cameron’s memoir in its first week on sale, placing it second on the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-09-24 14:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #week sales #tony blair #david cameron #margaret atwood #margaret thatcher #prime minister #nielsen #memoir


W H Smith's Pete Selby says lack of diversity means book industry is ‘failing’ children

Pete Selby, head of books for W H Smith, has called on the book industry to make the high street more diverse and inclusive for young readers, saying that diversity is going to become a "significant" part of WHS' strategy. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-22 19:12:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pete selby #high street #young readers #book industry


Canadian author Graeme Gibson dies, aged 85; Atwood pays tribute to 'beloved' partner

Canadian author Graeme Gibson has passed away, aged 85, with his partner Margaret Atwood paying tribute to her "beloved" spouse.    Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-18 18:21:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #canadian author


Resale of e-books 'unlawful' under EU law

The resale of e-books on sites such as Tom Kabinet are "unlawful under EU law", advocate general Maciej Szpunar has ruled. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-11 10:43:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #eu law


Amazon pays £14m corporation tax as revenue increases

Amazon's UK logistics and warehouse arm tripled its corporation tax payment to £14m for 2018, the company has revealed. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-03 21:29:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Authors Guild Says Cengage Failed to Renegotiate Contracts

In the digitization of the textbook market, the Authors Guild's new statement sees unsettled business between a curriculum content company and writers. The post Authors Guild Says Cengage Failed to Renegotiate Contracts appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-08-24 02:53:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors guild


Industry Notes: UK Postcode Lottery Helps Book Aid; F+W Fine Arts Sold to Peak Media

Lottery funds in the UK have generated more than £1.85 million for Book Aid International, and F+W Media's assets in arts and crafts go to Peak Media. The post Industry Notes: UK Postcode Lottery Helps Book Aid; F+W Fine Arts Sold to Peak Media appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-08-15 05:30:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book aid