After months of comments, filings, and responses, Judge Denise Cote didn’t waste any time in approving the Department of Justice’s settlement with Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster, moving it out of her docket and potentially over the Court of Appeals. Judge Cote was not persuaded that there was anything to be learned at an evidentiary hearing, “given the voluminous submissions” already filed “as well as the detailed factual allegations in the Complaint” and said the court was “well-equipped to rule on these matters.” At the end of the day, she believed the government “more than met [the] minimal standard” that they […]
Archives for September 2012
Justice Doesn’t “Like” the Court’s Friends
Without formally requesting permission from the court, the Department of Justice has gone ahead and helped themselves to a response to friend of the court briefs from the Authors Guild and Bob Kohn. Needless to say, they find those briefs without merit. To the Guild they say that “just as fear of competition is not a defense to price fixing, it also has no place in determining whether a government consent decree is in the ‘public interest'” (thereby not addressing the thing that the Guild “fears”/warns against). To Kohn they reply his “assertion that ‘if the government’s conclusions are not […]
Trade Sales Rise In May; eBooks Hit New Record
The AAP monthly sales reports remain relentlessly cheerful, with May statistics released Wednesday morning showing strong trade sales and another burst in ebook sales. Total trade sales from the reporting publishers were $535 million, up 17 percent from $457 million a year ago. In contrast to some previous months, the gains came from higher true shipments/sales in multiple categories, rather than just fewer returns. eBook sales, which had been growing at a slower pace since last fall, hit a new record for the month, at $133.7 million overall–well ahead of the previous high mark of $121.1 million in January. (That […]
eNews: First Kobo Announces New eReader and Tablet Devices; Amazon Product Launch Rumor Mill
As is now their custom, Kobo took the unassuming route of announcing its latest line of ereaders and tablets by press release on Wednesday morning, a few hours before Amazon is set to launch their newest devices in Santa Monica at a press conference (at 1:30 Eastern). Clearly glo(w)ing ereaders will be abundant this fall, following Nook’s successful launch of their GlowLight model and an authentic-seeming leak of the Kindle Paperwhite: Kobo will ship the $129 Glo (eInk reader with frontlit screen) and $80 Mini (smaller 5″ touchscreen) on October 1, with the 7″ Arc tablet, priced at $199 (8GB) and […]
Ducksworth Sues Penguin For Age Discrimination
Marilyn Ducksworth left Penguin last Friday after 28 years with the company, and in a complaint she says was filed on Wednesday afternoon in New York State Supreme Court charges the publisher with age discrimination. Ducksworth, who is 56, says she left “as a result of Penguin’s deliberate, unrelenting undermining of [her] status.” Penguin spokesperson Erica Glass said, “If a complaint is filed, the true facts will be presented to the court in due course. We can state categorically that it was Marilyn Ducksworth’s decision to resign and that PGI does not condone, nor was there, any age discrimination or […]
People, Etc.
HarperCollins Christian Publishing, the new division comprising Zondervan and the recently-acquired Thomas Nelson, announced its new organizational structure under president and ceo Mark Schoenwald. Most of the executive team draws from the Thomas Nelson side. Among the announcements: Stuart Bitting has been named svp, chief financial officer, while Annette Bourland and David Moberg will be svp, publisher of Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, respectively. Chip Brown moves up to svp, Bible Publishing, and Paul Engle has been named svp, Church, Academic and Reference Resources; Stan Gundry remains Zondervan editor-in-chief while Eric Shanfelt moves up to svp, eMedia. Tod Shuttleworth is SVP […]