Why Apple Backed Down in Fight With Publishers

Maybe Apple isn’t so untouchable after all. The device maker, which has been locked in a battle with publishers, made a surprise concession recently, dropping a pricing requirement for its App Store that irked publishers. Before, publishers couldn't undercut the subscription price they offered in the App Store—the new guidelines do away with that requirement. The previous guidelines, issued in February, seemed aimed at ensuring Apple had a pricing advantage. They also presented a complication for publishers who are used to testing various price points to hook new subscribers and reward existing ones. Apple doesn’t say a lot about why it does what it does. But while it had gotten a few big publishers to agree to its subscription terms, it’s had pushback from companies over its terms, including the 30 percent it skims off App Store purchases and its refusal to share customer data, and it's likely this move is related to that. Other devices are coming to market, presenting new competition for Apple, and loosening the stranglehold that the company has had over content producers to this point. Plus, publishers are exploring browser-based apps that would skirt the App Store altogether. This week, The Financial Times made waves when it did just that after having rejected Apple’s subscription terms. Outsell’s Ken Doctor believes other publishers, like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, marquee brands that are important to Apple, see the FT as a potential model to imitate... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #digital editions #gregg hano #vice president #popular science #digital version

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Facebook's new mobile ad format keeps users coming back to familiar apps

Ads for mobile apps are frequently ineffective after the first viewing -- once users install a given app, they rarely have incentives to try the software again. Facebook may have found a way to sustain customers' interest through its new deep linking ad format, however. The approach takes... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lucidpress: drop-and-drag publishing app simplifies document design

For professional looking design, Adobe Creative Suite products such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop are feature-rich tools you can use to create stunning projects. But using them isn’t cheap. Creative Cloud, which gives you Web access to these software offerings  is $50 a month, and even... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Justice Department opposes company requests to publish surveillance statistics

The U.S. Department of Justice has opposed requests by Facebook, Google, Microsoft and other companies to publish the number of surveillance requests they receive from the National Security Agency and other agencies. Requests from five Internet companies, also including Yahoo and LinkedIn,... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers, AOL Partner on Subscription Service

Publishers have partnered with AOL on a new bundled-subscription offering the company rolled out Monday. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing is Another Victim of Syria’s Civil War

Syria's civil war has decimated the local publishing business, all-but-ending the printing and sale of new books, and forcing many publishers authors to emigrate. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scribd Challenges Amazon and Apple With 'Netflix for Books'

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[ Wired | 2013-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple applies for iBook autograph patent

Apple has applied to create a patent for a system allowing authors to sign ebooks. This week,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Advertising Week Video: How Publishers Can Use Data More Effectively

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[ Advertising Age | 2013-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thompson made T&H publishing director

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-Publishing and the Industry: Implications and Impact

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dropbox pushes to publish spy data request details

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[ PC World | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian Publishing, 2013: A Time of Opportunity

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Profit drops 25% at Haynes amid publishing 'slowdown'

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Distro Issue 108: With the arrival of two new Apple handsets, do the i's have it?

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[ Engadget | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Publishing in Fall 2013: Focus on Canada 2013

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's Publishing in Fall 2013: Focus on Canada 2013

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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