Why Apple Backed Down in Fight With Publishers

Maybe Apple isnt 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 Storethe 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 doesnt 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, its 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 Apples subscription terms. Outsells 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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Why Apple Backed Down in Fight With Publishers'

Bill Tompkins to Head Black Publishers Association

WASHINGTON (NNPA) &ndash; Highly-respected media and entertainment executive William G. Tompkins, Jr. has been named president and chief executive officer of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a federation of more than 200 Black-owned ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #named president

Publishers still launching print magazines

Despite a troubled print advertising market, publishers still believe in the power of glossy paper and ink: They launched 114 magazines in the first half of 2012. That puts the year roughly on par with 2011, when 111 new titles appeared during the same period, according to online database... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #local advertising #american media #advertising side #ad dollars #ad pages

The Agent as (Sort of) Publisher

While there has been some grumbling in the industry about the ethics and logistics when literary agents start acting as publishers, many firms are now offering a suite of services in this area. Only a handful of agencies are actually publishing titles by their clients through in-house divisions,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing titles

OUP to publish 'God particle' title

Oxford University Press is the first publisher to announce it will be releasing a title... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Bloomsbury acquires visual arts publisher

Bloomsbury has completed the purchase of creative publishers Applied Visual Arts Publishing (AVA... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Publishers: O-level plans 'unclear'

Education publishers have given mixed reactions to news leaked last week (20th June) that... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #education publishers #mixed reactions #news leaked

EC v-p backs calls for reduced VAT on ebooks

The vice-president of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, has backed a call by European... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #european commission #reduced vat

EU publishing chiefs to discuss ebook tax

The chiefs of Europe's publishing houses will meet today (26th June) in Brussels at a round-... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing houses

Carlton snaps up Fiell publishing

Carlton Publishing Group arts imprint Goodman, which launched in 2009 and is headed by chairman... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Judge sets trial date for Apple ebook lawsuit

A US judge on Friday set a 2013 trial date for a lawsuit from the US government accusing Apple and book publishers of conspiring to fix the prices of electronic books. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishers #electronic books

E-book price fixing trial set for 2013: Apple, Macmillan and Penguin prepare for courtroom brawl

The Justice Department meant business when it accused Apple and five other publishers of price-rigging ebooks, and are officially taking Cupertino and two publishers to court. In a hearing on Friday, Judge Denise Cote set a bench trial for June 3, 2012, putting Apple, Macmillan and Penguin Group... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #accused apple #penguin group #agency pricing #justice department

Penguin slinks back into ebook lending for New York City libraries, with a possible catch

You might say Penguin has had a rocky relationship with libraries. That looks to be on the tentative mend, as the publisher and 3M have together cut deals with the Brooklyn Public Library and New York Public Library to bring Penguin's ebook catalog back as part of a test program. Under the terms... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publisher #ebook lending #rocky relationship #cut deals

Publishers urged to share backroom secrets

Publishers should engage more with consumers by exposing the publishing process, delegates at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers urged #publishing process

Media Decoder Blog: Pearl Buck Novels to Be Published as E-Books

Thirteen novels, including "The Good Earth,'' which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932, will be published in ebook format by Open Road Integrated Media. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pulitzer prize #ebook format

Duffy backs Manchester library protest

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has signed a petition calling on Manchester City Council to halt... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #petition calling

Publisher Twitter Followings Explode

After posting significant gains in 2011, the 16 publishers highlighted in PW’s annual Twitter snapshot all continued growing in 2012, showing that the book activity on the social media platform is still increasing substantially. All told, the total number of Twitter followers across all 16... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #twitter followers #total number

Israeli authors fight book deals

A group of Israeli authors launch a battle to stop the country's leading bookstores from slashing prices, claiming it reduces their royalties. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #slashing prices