A variety of legal moves are underway to compel depositions and other information from Amazon in the ebook pricing cases. Attorneys for Apple have complained to the court about efforts by Amazon last Friday, September 14, “to quash a non-party subpoena served on it by defendants.” In what they call “a highly confidential submission, defendants requested permission from Judge Cote, also on Friday, to move to compel Amazon’s compliance with that same subpoena.” The move became public with the filing of a request for the Washington District Court to transfer Amazon’s request to Judge Denise Cote, who is overseeing the […]
Archives for September 2012
Frances Coady Launches Brightline, With Backing from Diller and Rudin, and Collaboration from the Atavist
After months of rumors, there are at least vague details about the ebook publishing plans of IAC chairman Barry Diller and film producer Scott Rudin. They have formed Brightline, led by Frances Coady–who left Picador, where she was president and publisher, in a February restructuring after 12 years at the imprint–with $20 million in funding from IAC. In parallel, the NYT reports, there is a partnership between Brightline and The Atavist, in which the two “will exchange an undetermined amount of minority equity interests in each other’s ventures” and publish together in an otherwise undefined partnership. The two companies will […]
People, Etc.
Editorial director of Rizzoli Paolo Zaninoni is leaving after almost ten years at the company. General manager of RCS trade books Massimo Turchetta will replace Zainoni on an interim basis. In addtion, Federica Magro has been named manager of Bur and Vintage paperbacks. Previously she was an editor at Mondadori. At Simon & Schuster Children’s, Liesa Abrams has been promoted to executive editor and moves from Aladdin to Simon Pulse, though she will continue to edit Aladdin’s Dork Diaries, Unwanteds and Beyonders. In addition, Annette Pollert moves up to editor, while Karen Nagel has been promoted to executive editor at […]
In the EU, Four Publishers (Not Penguin) and Apple Offer to Settle
HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster have joined with Apple in offering to settle with the European Commission over the introduction of agency ebook pricing in Europe, “with a view to seeking an early resolution of the case.” The Commission is “still investigating Pearson’s conduct” and its “compatibility” with EU regulations. The proposed settlement closely mirrors conditions that three of those publishers have already agreed to in the US. As in the US, Apple’s existing agency agreements with the Settlers as well as Penguin will be terminated and the most favored nations clause will be barred, and the Settlers’ […]
People, Etc.
Books-A-Million evp, chief administrative officer and secretary Douglas Markham has left the company and his contract was terminated, effective immediately, according to SEC fillings. Markham joined the company as cfo in 2006 and was promoted to his current position in August 2009. No other details on his departure were available. Richard Milbank will join Head of Zeus as publishing director, non-fiction, on September 24, where he will oversee publication of more than 30 titles annually, focusing on history, biography, science, philosophy and language. He was publishing director at Octopus, a position he held since January. Maria B. Campbell Associates has […]
Publishers Join DOJ In Opposing Kohn’s Appeal of eBook Pricing Settlement
The three settling publishers filed a joint motion with Judge Denise Cote opposing Bob Kohn’s request for standing to appeal the ebook pricing settlement. The Settlers say in their filing they “have real interests in the entry of the final judgment and will incur increased costs as the litigation process is drawn out by Mr. Kohn’s ongoing attempts to participate in this litigation.” They call say “Kohn’s motion is only a transparent effort to disrupt settlement” and assert that he wishes “to step into the shoes of the settling publishers in derrogation of their clear wish.” In a separate filing, the […]