Late Friday Hachette spokesperson Sophie Cottrell clarified their position in the ongoing litigation with the estate of Richard Ben Cramer that we reported on. Hachette re-filed their claim, Cottrell explained, “with the cooperation of and prior discussion with the attorney for Cramer’s estate” and, moreover, is “attempting to work with the estate to resolve this matter without further need for litigation.” Cottrell reiterated that the initial lawsuit “was a means of last recourse by Hachette for repayment” of Cramer’s outstanding advance. (Lawyers for Cramer’s estate had still not responded to our request for comment.)
Legal
Hachette Continues Pursuing Richard Ben Cramer’s Estate
When Richard Ben Cramer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of WHAT IT TAKES (1992), the influential 1988 presidential campaign chronicle, died January 7 from complications of lung cancer only days after being diagnosed with the illness, he had just been served by a lawsuit from his onetime publisher, Hachette Book Group’s Twelve imprint, for failing to deliver a manuscript on now-disgraced New York Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez. At the time of Cramer’s death, a spokesperson for Hachette told us “we were very surprised to hear of Mr. Cramer’s illness. We had been trying to contact him for well […]
States’ New Expert Magically Increases eBook Damages Estimate By 40 Percent
The new battleground in the ebook pricing case — to determine how much Apple will pay in damages, assuming their appeal is unsuccessful — has just begun. (So you should be wary of any headlines that imply otherwise.) Expect a number of filings and counter-arguments in the months to come, and remember most importantly that Apple’s liability will be determined at a separate trial scheduled for next May. Everything else is preamble. It will not shock you that the states have found themselves a new expert, professor emeritus at Stanford Roger Noll, who has decided that the “damages” to consumers […]
One More Effort to Make Court Reckon with Allegations of Amazon’s Predatory Pricing
On Friday, Bob Kohn filed with the US District Court indicating his intention to appear in opposition to final entry of the Federal ebook pricing settlements with Macmillan and Penguin. The new wrinkle to avoid being dismissed as not having standing in the matter is that Kohn objects as one of the many eligible consumers affected by the settlement. His primary intention is to reassert the simple but sensational argument that Judge Cote ignored the most important element of the entire ebook pricing saga: “Amazon’s below marginal cost pricing” of ebooks prior to the launch of the agency model. That […]
People
At Grand Central’s Forever and Forever Yours romance imprints, Amy Pierpont has been promoted to editor-in-chief, while Sourcebooks editorial manager Leah Hultenschmidt has joined as editorial director. Lauren Plude moves up to associate editor, reporting to Hultenschmidt, while Megha Parekh has been promoted to assistant editor. At Crown, Danielle Crabtree has been promoted to marketing associate. Separately, Gianna Sandri has joined Crown Archetype as marketing associate. Previously she was a marketing assistant at Pearson Education. In addition, Maren Childs has joined the group ad/promo department as associate web developer. Previously she was at Workman. Brenda Chin will join Belle Books […]
After Appeals Court Loss, Risen Faces Supreme Court or Possible Jail Time While Protecting Sources
Author of the 2006 book STATE OF WAR: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration and NYT reporter James Risen faces an appeal to the Supreme Court or the prospect of going to jail in his continuing efforts to protect his sources. Prosecutors still want Risen to testify in what seems now like a minor case — against CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, accused of leaking information about a Clinton-era effort to disrupt Iran’s nuclear research. On Tuesday, the full Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit declined to hear Risen’s appeal — by a 13-to-1 vote — […]