Simon & Schuster president and ceo Jonathan Karp wrote an email to staff on Thursday explaining the “true nature of our relationship” to the “shocking news” of the FBI’s arrest of S&S UK employee Filippo Bernardini. Bernardini was charged on Wednesday with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to a years-long manuscript phishing scam. According to Karp, the company’s ViacomCBS Information Security Group “investigated and reported their findings to the FBI.” He notes, “It is our understanding that the information provided by the VCBS team to the FBI proved crucial in facilitating the FBI’s investigation and arrest.” “Like others […]
Legal
FBI Arrests Elusive Manuscript Thief
The FBI arrested Filippo Bernardini, 29, on Wednesday afternoon when he landed at JFK Airport in New York, and unsealed an indictment, in a long overdue deal, charging him with with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Bernardini is accused of conducting “a multi-year scheme to impersonate individuals involved in the publishing industry in order to fraudulently obtain hundreds of prepublication manuscripts of novels and other forthcoming books.” Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York FBI office Michael Driscoll said in a news release: “We allege Mr. Bernardini used his insider knowledge of the industry to get authors to send him […]
New York Governor Vetoes Library eBook Bill
New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill from the State Assembly that would have imposed restrictions on the terms under which publishers license ebooks to libraries. The legislation was similar to the Maryland law that the AAP is currently challenging in Federal court, imposing a vague requirement of “reasonable terms”. Hochul wrote in her veto, “While the goal of this bill is laudable, unfortunately, copyright protection provides the author of a work with the exclusive right to their works. As such, federal law would allow the author, and only the author, to determine to whom they wish to share […]
Judge Sets February Hearing on AAP’s Motion of Preliminary Injunction Stopping Maryland Law
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.
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 […]
2021: The Year In Legal News
A busy legal docket this year involved antitrust suits, embezzlement, copyright infringement, and misconduct by government officials. The suit brought by the Department of Justice to block Penguin Random House’s acquisition drew the most attention within the publishing world and is headed to an August 1, 2022 trial date, while former governor Andrew Cuomo was investigated for ethical breaches in writing his memoir. Elsewhere, a legal battle between former agency partners dragged on the entire year, still leaving many authors and others waiting to be paid. In January, literary agent Peter McGuigan filed suit on behalf of himself and the […]