Judge Denise Cote acknowledged Bob Kohn’s requests to appeal and stay her judgment in the ebook pricing settlement in a brief notice issued Monday. The motion to stay was denied. Anticipating that, as we reported yesterday Kohn had already gone to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals with his request. Though Kohn was initially trying to forestall the first stage of the settlement’s decree–voiding Apple’s ebook contracts within a week–Judge Cote has set deadlines for next week on his motion to appeal, at which point the entire contractual landscape for the Settlers may have changed. Opposition to Kohn’s motion is […]
Archives for September 2012
People
Executive director of publicity at Picador James Meader has also been named publicist-at-large at Henry Holt, effective immediately, formalizing an ongoing arrangement with the imprint on select hardcover campaigns. Meader will continue to report to Picador publisher Stephen Morrison and will also add “a dotted line” to Holt deputy publisher Maggie Richards. “James is creative and enthusiastic, a book lover with real insight into the fundamental dynamics of the marketplace. His experience and knowledge will be a great asset to Henry Holt,” publisher Stephen Rubin said in a statement. Also at Holt, Joanna Levine has been promoted to assistant editor. […]
Corporate: Jana Drops Barnes & Noble; Bertelsmann Eyes US and Internet; Allen & Unwin Talks to Murdoch
As of August 31, Jana Partners no longer held any shares in Barnes & Noble, the company disclosed in an SEC filing on Tuesday. The investment firm, which owned 7 million shares of the bookseller when they first filed disclosure forms in April, still held a little over 4 million shares as of their most recent previous filing at the end of June. BN’s stock has been trading near a 52-week low over the past three weeks. At Bertelsmann‘s annual meeting gathering hundreds of executives companywide in Gutersloh, Germany, ceo Thomas Rabe said “the group does ‘not have all the […]
Kohn Goes Directly to Appeals Court With Emergency Request For A Stay of eBook Settlement
With no response yet from District Court Judge Denise Cote to his Friday motions seeking permission to both stay and appeal the ebook settlement, entrepreneur and attorney Bob Kohn filed an emergency request with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday morning. He asked the Appeals Court “to consider and rule upon” his motion for a stay by this Friday. Reasserting many of the arguments made last week to Judge Cote, Kohn posits that “without a stay of execution of the final judgment, an appeal becomes moot and the consequent harm to the public becomes irreparable.” To meet the […]
Harper Starts Selling Under New eBook Contracts, Often At Higher List Prices
At least some new pricing for ebooks started Monday, in advance of any indication from the courts whether an appeal might stay formal imposition of the settlement with the Department of Justice. As spokesperson Erin Crum told Publishers Lunch Monday afternoon, “HarperCollins has reached agreements with our e-retailers that are consistent with the final judgment.” One reason to initiate new contracts as soon as possible is to get the process over with; each publisher must wait two years after execution of new contracts, whenever that occurs, before being able to return to unimpeded agency. The results of those new agreements–including […]
Mantel, Self Tipped As Favorites on Booker Shortlist
The Booker Prize shortlist was announced Tuesday, with Hilary Mantel’s BRING UP THE BODIES and Will Self’s UMBRELLA quickly tipped as early favorites to win the award. Every year we think to ourselves, this is the last time you’ll see books vying for or winning a major international award that aren’t instantly available globally, at least in digital form… Half of the shortlist comprises small press titles with varying availability in the US; we did our best to clarify status as much as we could before today’s publication. Deborah Levy’s SWIMMING FOR HOME, for example, will be published imminently as […]