Register of Copyrights and director of the US Copyright Office Shira Perlmutter formally responded to US Senate ranking member on the subcommittee on intellectual property Thom Tillis’s request for an analysis of Maryland’s recently-enacted law regulating library lending of ebooks and similar efforts pending on other states. Tillis was clearly looking for confirmation of his inference “that these state legislative efforts would appear to directly conflict with the Copyright Act’s clear language” and “preemption rules that situate copyright law exclusively at the federal level.” Perlmutter concurs, noting, “We conclude that under current precedent, the state laws at issue are likely […]
Bookselling: Two New Barnes & Noble Locations
Barnes & Noble opens two new stores on Wednesday, both relatively compact in size. The splashier launch is in Raleigh, NC, for the previously-announced 10,400-square-foot store in the Village District. Author Delia Owens will officially cut the ribbon to open the store and meet fans. The release praises the “leadership of manager Jen Curtis, a 22-year veteran of Barnes & Noble stores in the Carolinas” and says “the store is the first to be opened by Barnes & Noble in the Raleigh area in 18 years.” As we have observed in the past, the company continues its odd belief that […]
McGraw Hill to Acquire Achieve3000
McGraw Hill was the winning bidder in the sale of New Jersey-based edtech company Achieve3000. The deal is expected to close within 60 days, and it underscores support for McGraw from their new private equity owners at Platinum Equity. Terms were not disclosed, but earlier in August, sources told PE Hub that Achieve3000 had sales of about $100 million and EBITDA of $50 million, looking for a robust valuation of over $700 million. In the announcement, managing director at Platinum Equity Luke Myers, said: “We are making good on our pledge to help McGraw Hill accelerate its digital transformation, which […]
Legal: The Next Foundry Fight Is Over Fees
Recent filings show at least part of the cost of the long-running dispute between former Foundry partners Yfat Reiss Gendell and Peter McGuigan: Following a court order that Foundry “advance attorneys’ fees and expenses to Gendell” to defend against the suit brought by McGuigan and Foundry, Gendell’s attorneys at Sher Tremonte submitted bills for “$157,181.49 in fees and expenses through our firm in connection with the defense of this action.” They contend “we have been conservative in identifying the fees for which we are seeking advancement,” omitting “work associated with defendants’ counterclaims [and] their opposition to plaintiffs’ motion to dismiss.” […]
Forthcoming
Marlon James‘s second installment in his “African Game of Thrones” Dark Star trilogy — MOON WITCH, SPIDER KING — will be published February 15, 2022. The first in the series, Black Leopard, Red Wolf, is already being adapted for the screen by Michael B. Jordan.
Bookselling Math
Barnes & Noble ceo James Daunt told PW that the chain’s sales are “up about 5% to 6% so far this year, compared to 2019, with book sales up by double digits.” To put that in context, given BN’s long steady decline prior to Daunt’s tenure, sales look to have come back to a point slightly ahead of where they were in 2018, and still well below the levels in 2017 and 2016. That recovery has also lagged the overall market, as the pandemic lifted online book sales and hurt physical outlets. When BN was publicly traded their reporting periods […]