Just after 2:30 PM on Wednesday afternoon Apple rested its case in the ebook price-fixing trial. Expert witnesses Michelle Burtils and Kevin Murphy, as well as head of the iBookstore Robert McDonald, completed their testimony and closing arguments will take place Thursday. As previously reported, the government and Apple are each allotted two and a half hours each to make concluding remarks (and answer any final questions Judge Cote has.) Different accounts over Apple’s ebook market share continued as McDonald disagreed with Eddy Cue. His written testimony, which he stood by, indicates, “While it is difficult to obtain definitive information on […]
Archives for June 2013
In Court: BN’s Theresa Horner Testifies
Sandwiched between the concluding testimony of one of the defense’s expert witnesses and the initial testimony of a second expert for Apple was Barnes & Noble’s vp, digital content Theresa Horner. As a witness for Apple, she was called to show that the bookseller had already been contemplating alternatives to the wholesale model as early as April 2009, before they launched their ebookselling business. (Horner’s earlier deposition was introduced into court as direct testimony; what transpired Tuesday was cross-examination and redirect.) The company understood, per an internal ebook pricing document brought to attention by Apple’s Orin Snyder, that “in the […]
Springer Sold To BC Partners After All For 3.3 Billion Euros
The longstanding efforts by private equity owners EQT and the Singaporean sovereign-wealth fund to sell Springer Science has come to an end after another late-game twist. Just five days after announcing they would walk away from BC Partners’ recent offer to buy the company and pursue a long-contemplated IPO, Springer’s owners closed the deal with BC for approximately €3.3 billion euros. Sources told Reuters that EQT and the Singaporean fund “would keep a stake of about 10 percent in Springer between them, with BC Partners confirming the minority stake. The purchase, which also depends on Springer’s future performance, will be backed […]
People, Etc.
Anna Knutson has joined Barer Literary as foreign rights director. Knutson was previously a senior literary scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates. Stephanie Kim has joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as senior publicist. Previously she was public relations coordinator at Hulu. Sara Grubb has joined the Irene Goodman Literary Agency full-time to manage the agency’s audio rights. Karen Li will join OwlKids as editorial director on July 15. Previously she was a senior editor at Kids Can Press. Simone Garzella Literary Scouting has been appointed US literary scout for Massolit Forlag in Sweden and KRP in Turkey. Award-winning journalist for Rolling […]
Gelfman Schneider Joins ICM In Latest “Strategic Alliance”
In another move that signals the growing consolidation of literary agencies, ICM Partners announced a new strategic alliance with Gelfman Schneider, who will now do business as Gelfman/Schneider/ICM (but will still retain their Seventh Avenue offices.) ICM says the partnership “increases the footprint…of the publishing unit and solidifies its status as a market leader among the talent and literary agencies.” Clients on the Gelfman Schneider list include Jeffery Deaver, David Rabe, Lauren Weisberger, Chris Bohjalian, and the estate for Evan Hunter/Ed McBain. Last November, ICM set up a similar strategic alliance with the Washington, DC-based Sagalyn Agency. In addition, Curtis […]
Corporate: Penguin Tries Book Discovery With “First to Read”; Quercus Moves Sales In-House; And More
Penguin is launching a new book discovery tool, First To Read, that will offer “widely anticipated” excerpts of forthcoming Penguin titles as Hotshot by Julie Garwood, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, (also available on our own Fall/Winter Buzz Books 2013 sampler), The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead, Sister Mother Husband Dog by Delia Ephron, The Childhod of Jesus by J. M. Coetzee, Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan, and many more. Those who sign up for First To Read through their Facebook accounts will be able to request digital galleys of available titles, and can also take part […]