Romance publisher Ellora’s Cave has settled its defamation lawsuit filed against romance website Dear Author and its proprietor Jennifer Gerrish-Lampe (aka Jane Litte) after a hearing in a Northern Ohio Federal Court Thursday afternoon, according to a brief note in the court docket. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and EC ceo Patty Marks said in an email to their authors that they “are pleased to announce that we have reached a settlement with Dear Author. The terms are confidential, so we will not be discussing that. We are very happy though to now put all of our time and efforts […]
Legal
Appeals Court Gives Weight to Argument That Chris Kyle Jury Should Not Have Been Told Insurer Would Pay Jesse Ventura’s Damages
An 8th Circuit Appeals Court said it would consider ordering a new trial in Jesse Ventura‘s defamation case against the estate of Chris Kyle and HarperCollins over remarks published in AMERICAN SNIPER, the AP reports, because the plaintiff’s attorney told jurors during closing arguments that the publisher’s “insurer is on the hook if you find that Jesse Ventura was defamed” during last year’s trial. The jury awarded Ventura $500,000 for defamation and another $1.3 million for unjust enrichment. Appeals court judge William Riley admonished Ventura’s lawyer, David Bradley Olsen, for being “over the line” with his remarks to the jury, and then challenged […]
People, Etc.
At Graywolf Press, Marisa Atkinson is being promoted to director of marketing and engagement. Casey O’Neil, formerly marketing associate at Milkweed Editions, is joining as sales and marketing manager. Caroline Nitz, formerly publicist at Henry Holt, is joining the press as publicist. Michal Lumsden will join Storey Publishing on November 9 as copywriter & assistant to the publisher . Journalist, editor and author Erin Entrada Kelly has joined Smith Publicity’s book marketing team. At Cave Henricks Communications, Kimberly Petty and Megan Grajeda have been promoted to senior publicist. Publisher of Central Recovery Press Bob Gray, 57, died on October 15, after a long […]
Appeals Court Reaffirms Google Books Project As Fair Use
Just over 10 years after the Authors Guild first filed suit against Google’s scanning of library books, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously confirmed District Court Judge Denny Chin’s 2013 ruling that the project qualifies as fair use under the copyright ruling. In a decision just as sweeping as Judge Chin’s own definitive conclusion rejecting all the Guild’s arguments, the Appeals Court also found in Google’s favor across the board. With their affirming opinion — and following a string of court losses in the original case and a related case against the nonprofit Hathi Trust built on parts of Google’s scanning — […]
People, Etc.
At Penguin Random House, Alison Rich has been appointed vp, publishing innovation development, reporting to Nina von Moltke, where she will work cross-company to identify and develop new author platform and business and services opportunities. Previously she was vp, executive director of publicity at Doubleday and associate publisher at Nan A. Talese Books. Springer ceo Ted Nardin is retiring after more than 10 years with the company. Succeeding him is Mary Gatsch, previously vp, global medical reference unit at Elsevier Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg granted Apple’s request for an extra thirty days to file for cert in the […]
Germans Ask For Second Investigation, Into Amazon’s Audio Empire
After helping to spur a European Commission investigation into Amazon’s ebook contracts with publishers, announced this June, Germany’s Publishers and Booksellers Association filed a new complaint with Germany’s Cartel Office and the EC. Now they are asking for additional scrutiny of Amazon’s Audible subsidiary, accusing the company of misusing the leverage from a near-monopoly in digital audiobooks. German accounts claim Audible wants to move publishers to a “flat-rate” service, and has threatened to stop offering publishers’ product if they do not agree to the new terms. Association head Alexander Skipis says, “The business model of Amazon and Audible is aimed […]