Following a status conference on Tuesday, Judge Deborah L. Boardman set a February 7 hearing on the AAP’s pending motion for a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of Maryland’s new law on library licensing of electronic text. The state of Maryland’s response to the motion is due January 14, with the AAP’s reply due two weeks later.
Archives for December 2021
People 12/21
Steph Gafron has been promoted to associate art director at Sourcebooks.
People 12/20
Jenna Lettice and Tricia Lin have been promoted from to editor at Random House Books for Young Readers. Jasmine Hodge has been promoted to assistant editor at Random House Books for Young Readers.
HarperCollins UK and Catherine Belton Reach Settlement With Abramovich Over Putin’s People
HarperCollins UK and Putin’s People author Catherine Belton have settled the litigation brought by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich over sections of the book that claim he purchased Chelsea Football Club under the direction of Vladimir Putin. Per the agreement, the publisher will amend text concerning the purchase, and issue a new edition with a more thorough explanation of why Abramovich bought the club. The settlement follows a November preliminary ruling by a UK high court judge that the statements are defamatory and preempts a trial that was expected in the new year. HarperCollins UK wrote in a release, “While the […]
Acquisitions: Dark Horse Media Agrees to Sale to Embracer Group
Swedish video game holding company Embracer Group plans to buy comic book publisher and entertainment company Dark Horse Media, in a deal that is expected to close next year. Dark Horse’s 300 intellectual properties include The Mask, Time Cop, Father’s Day, and Ghost and it licenses Star Wars, Avatar the Last Airbender, Stranger Things, Witcher, and more. It also owns a retail business called Things From Another World selling graphic novels, comic books, and collectibles. Eighty percent of the shares of Dark Horse will be acquired from a Chinese investor, and the remaining 20 percent are from founder and CEO Mike Richardson […]
The Next London Book Fair Issue: Less Space
After being disappointed during the pandemic with stingy, conditional refunds and late cancellation decisions, London Book Fair customers face another issue for 2022: Limited space. Due to construction at the Olympia exhibition center, along with pandemic precautions, there will be less about 20 percent less space available for exhibitors — and similar constraints for rights tables. The rights center will be relocated for the year to the ground floor, with space for only “425 tables compared to just over 500 in 2019.” And “the majority of these tables have been allocated to those who rolled over their investment from 2020.” […]