The European Union has closed its antitrust investigation into Apple’s “anticompetitive behavior” blocking competing ebook and audiobook apps from selling directly within the app without paying Apple’s 30 percent tax. The complaint focused on Apple imposing “the mandatory use of its own proprietary in-app purchase system” and the company’s restrictions on allowing other apps to “inform iPhone and iPad users of alternative cheaper purchasing possibilities available outside the App Store.” The matter was closed because the unnamed complainant, a distributor of e-books and audiobooks, withdrew the complaint that it launched in 2020. “The closure of an investigation is not a […]
International News
DK Acquires Canelo
DK has acquired UK-based digital publisher Canelo, founded by Iain Millar, Michael Bhaskar and Nick Barreto in 2015. The company says the acquisition is part of a plan “to broaden its publishing scope, adding Canelo’s thriving fiction lines to its world-renowned illustrated, non-fiction and children’s fiction titles.” DK ceo Paul Kelly said, “This partnership is a strategic evolution for DK, integrating Canelo’s renowned author-first approach and proven genre expertise with our global platform. Together, we’ll engage new readers and support talented authors by creating compelling, accessible fiction and non-fiction with a reach that spans DK’s global distribution networks. We see […]
VBK To Test AI Translation Into English
Dutch publisher VBK, acquired earlier this year by Simon & Schuster, will test out AI translation of their books into English, the Bookseller reports. According to the Bookseller, a small number of books are being translated, and only in cases when the English rights haven’t been sold. A VBK spokesperson said, “We are working on a limited experiment with some Dutch authors, for their books to be translated into English language using AI. There will be one editing phase, and authors have been asked to give permission for this. “We are not creating books with AI, it all starts and […]
New Ventures and a Return to Normal at FBF Day 2
The Frankfurt Book Festival continued on Thursday, seeming like business as usual after years of change. Attendees said that the crowds seemed back up to pre-pandemic levels, and security was back down after being heightened last year in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. While some international publishers said they have been busy making deals throughout the fair, several others said that the bulk of their dealmaking happens throughout the year. For them, the fair serves more as an opportunity to catch up with colleagues and friends in person, which they maintain is just as valuable. A conversation with […]
Record Fall/Frankfurt Adult Deals Follow Big Third Quarter
Yes, your fall and pre-Frankfurt deal submissions really have been even more overwhelming than usual this year. As we noted yesterday, US publishers were strong buyers in the third quarter of the year and that continued in October, as we saw new records for overall deals during this key five-week-plus selling stretch, lifted by adult books in particular. (As a reminder, we measure the five weeks and a day leading up to the Wednesday opening of FBF. Usually that begins with Labor Day, though last year and this year Frankfurt is a week later than usual.) US deals were up […]
Spotify Expands Audiobooks to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
At an event in Paris, Spotify announced an expansion of their audiobooks efforts, now providing premium subscribers in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg with 12 hours of included free audiobook listening every month. Managing Director, Spotify Western Europe Antoine Monin says in the announcement, “Spotify’s reach presents a significant opportunity to expand the audiobooks market across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.” He indicates they have added 15,000 French and 15,000 Dutch and Flemish titles to their catalog. Spotify launched their offering of free audiobook listening a year ago, and they say in the release, “While it’s still early […]