A Vermont Federal Court judge has ruled that a Chooseco’s lawsuit against Netflix for using its Choose Your Own Adventure brand in its interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch can proceed, by denying Netflix’s motion to dismiss. Released in late 2018, Bandersnatch asks viewers to choose which direction the plot takes, and features visual branding and dialogue that explicitly evokes the popular ’80s book series. Netflix is alleged to have originally pursued a license, and then to have gone forward without one. Chooseco sued for $25 million in damages in January 2019, alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition, and dilution of its […]
Archives for February 2020
People, Etc.
Elizabeth Mendez Berry has joined One World as vice president and executive editor. She was previously with the Nathan Cummings Foundation, where she was the director of their arts and media portfolio. Gabriella Doob has been promoted to editor at Ecco. Lauren Diethelm has joined Random House Children’s as production associate. She was previously production assistant at professional sports publications. Bebe Barrow has joined Chronicle Books as sales operations coordinator. Lizz Skelly will join Bonnier Books UK as head of publicity for children’s books on February 17 (she is currently at PRH UK), and Emma Quick joins the company today […]
People, Etc.
Anna Paustenbach has been promoted to editor at Harper One. At Metropolitan, Grigory Tovbis has been promoted to senior editor. Brian Lax becomes assistant editor. At Trident Media Group, Alice Fugate and Logan Harper have both been promoted to associate agent. Kurestin Armada has joined Root Literary. She was previously at P.S. Literary Agency. Megan Barnard has joined the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as associate agent. In the UK, Rose Tomaszewska will stay on at Virago, where she has been working parental leave cover for the past seven months. And Alex Hardy has returned to Hachette UK, in the […]
Russell’s My Dark Vanessa Tops March Indie Next List
The ABA named Kate Elizabeth Russell’s My Dark Vanessa as its Indie Next No. 1 pick for March. (The book has already sparked some controversy online. It comes to market as another highly-touted novel, acquired for seven figures and licensed around the world. Originally scheduled for January release, the book had its publication date moved, and could be in line for additional high-profile March selections.) Also on the list is Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn, excerpted and available for download in our Buzz Books 2020 Spring/Summer sampler. The rest of the picks: Writers & Lovers, […]
People, Etc.
Quarto has hired Polly Powell, owner of what now operates as Pavilion Books, as chief executive officer of the company’s UK operations, and executive director of the company. Powell had been working as an advisor to lead owner CK Lau since this past October. Andrea Giunti Lombardo, whose family bought 6.2 million shares in Quarto in its recent capital raise, has also joined the board, as non-executive director of the company. He replaces Michael Mousley. Powell said, “I am excited to be joining the Board of Quarto. I have enormous respect for CK, and I think that having Italian publisher and […]
Briefs
People Linda Kaplan of Defiore and Company will now handle foreign rights for Mansion Street Literary Management. Awards Canadian author Susan Swan and Harper Canada senior editor Janice Zawerbny have founded the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, which will award $150,000 annually to a work of fiction by a woman or nonbinary person published in the previous year, beginning in 2022. The prize is funded for the first three years by an anonymous corporate donor, and Swan and Zawerbny have created a foundation to raise money for administrative costs. Additionally, four finalists will each receive $12,500. The NYT writes that […]