Archives for March 2025
Harper’s Murray Discusses AI and More On Podcast
The latest Open Road podcast features an interview with HarperCollins ceo Brian Murray. The conversation includes ample discussion of the intersection of AI and book publishing. On the AI licensing deal for backlist nonfiction books that Harper offered to authors and agents starting last November, Murray reports that, “So far, the vast majority of authors that we have spoken with have opted into it, but it’s their choice. At HarperCollins, we ourselves see ourselves as trying to find a way forward. It’s a little bit like threading a needle — where you want to protect copyright, protect IP, you want […]
Alliance to Acquire Diamond Assets
Alliance Entertainment will buy most of the assets of Diamond Comic Distributors in Diamond’s bankruptcy sale, subject to court approval, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday morning. The deal includes Diamond Comic Distributors (U.S.), Alliance Game Distributors, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, and Collectible Grading Authority, and is expected to close in April. The acquisition will expand Alliance’s portfolio with Diamond’s IP and broaden Alliance’s reach into comic book shops and other retailers serviced by Diamond. The winning bid has not been released yet, but Alliance says it will increase its revolving credit facility by $40 million to finance the […]
NYT’s Copyright Infringement Claims Against OpenAI Will Go To Trial
The NYT’s well-drafted copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft has survived the defendants’ motions to dismiss and the primary claims will go to trial. Filed in the New York’s Southern District, the order was granted by Judge Sidney Stein, who did grant with prejudice a motion to dismiss unfair competition by misappropriation claims, while also striking other modest claims from various related lawsuits. Judge Stein’s brief order indicated he “will issue an Opinion setting forth the reasons for this ruling expeditiously,” with a schedule for proceedings to come thereafter.
Judge Blocks Iowa Book Ban Law, Again
U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher reinstated an injunction against Senate File 496, the Iowa state law that removes books with LGBTQ themes and references to sex acts from school libraries, after an Iowa Eighth Circuit panel reversed the original injunction in December 2023. Locher wrote that the law is unconstitutional, and “makes no attempt to evaluate a book’s literary, political, artistic, or scientific value before requiring the book’s removal from a school library and thus comes nowhere close to applying the ‘obscenity’ standard that is typically used to determine the constitutionality of statewide book restrictions. The result is the forced […]
Union Square Licenses 10 More Years of Mo Willems Content
Mo Willems’ company, Hidden Pigeon, has announced a new 10-year licensing agreement with Union Square & Co. for books and products featuring Willems’ characters. Union Square will launch 15-20 new titles per year, including “color and activity books, storybooks, readers, board books, workbooks, novelty formats, and more.” The deal, apparently struck earlier and announced now ahead of the Bologna Book Fair, began with Don’t Let The Pigeon Color This Book! published in October 2024 and includes more books scheduled for fall 2025, including a board book, The Pigeon WON’T Count to 10!. The Knock Knock imprint will also release gift and […]