Random House has settled a lawsuit brought by UK wine expert Michael Broadbent over the book BILLIONAIRE’S VINEGAR by Benjamin Wallace. The publisher apologized for allegations in the book that, as Broadbent’s attorneys put it, he “had behaved in an unprofessional manner in the way in which he had auctioned some bottles [said to have been owned by Thomas Jefferson] and that his relationship and dealings with Hardy Rodenstock, who discovered the original collection, was suspected of being improper.” The NYT says Random “issued a statement in court accepting that they were not true. Random House also paid an undisclosed […]
Lawsuit
Judge Clears Hachette But Will Let Suit Against Rita Cosby's Book Go to Jury
Judge Denny Chin (co-star of the Google Books Settlement case) ruled that lawyer Howard K. Stern’s $60 million suit against Rita Cosby for her book about the death of Anna Nicole Smith, BLONDE AMBITION, can proceed to a jury trial. Chin wrote, “printing a claim that [Larry] Birkhead and Stern had sex would be a way to make it to the top of the bestseller list, and a reasonable jury could find that Cosby ignored the inherently improbable nature of the statement in her zeal to write a blockbuster book.” The judge also found that some statements “are so inherently […]
Obscure Teen Author Says She'll Sue Meyer for Plagiarism In Breaking Dawn
California attorney J. Craig Williams says he will file a copyright infringement suit on behalf of his client Jordan Scott against Hachette Book Group and Stephenie Meyer, alleging that her bestselling BREAKING DAWN copies from Scott’s 2006 book THE NOCTURNE. Williams sent HBG a “cease and desist” letter on July 13 that just happened to land on TMZ.com. In the letter, which says it is responding correspondence from HBG general counsel Carol Fein Ross from last December, asks the publisher to “compensate my client for her damages.” Yes Williams “said Scott does not plan to seek monetary damages,” to the […]
Judge Dismisses Part of Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Suit Against Phoenix; Viner In Bankruptcy. TrumpNation Suit Also Dismissed
An LA Superior Court judge has dismissed the fraud portion of Dennis Kucinich’s lawsuit against Phoenix Books over the publication of his 2007 book THE COURAGE TO SURVIVE. Kucinich’s attorney says it was because the alleged to have made the fraudulent representations, company president Michael Viner, has filed for bankruptcy, which exempts him from the fraud action. Kucinich’s claim of breach of contract against the company goes forward. Attorney Stanley Leiber says, “We requested and demanded that they give us an accounting of all books sold. They have never done that. That is part of their obligation.” General counsel for […]
Kindle Owner Files Suit Against Amazon Saying Cover Cracks Kindles; Seeks Class Action Status
Matthew Geise filed suit against Amazon in a Seattle US District Court yesterday seeking class action status for Kindle 2 and SuperKindle owners with devices “installed in a Kindle Cover designed by Amazon.” The suit alleges that “Internet complaint board and product review sites contain scores, if not hundreds, of complaints from Kindle owners whose Kindles have been damaged by the Kindle Covers.” Users report that the cover cause cracks or “bulges” on the side of the Kindle “at or near where the Kindle Cover attaches to the Kindle,” and indicate that the cracks eventually get big enough that the […]
Preliminary Injunction Blocks Salinger Non-Sequel
Though preliminary injunctions blocking publication of a book are quite rare, Judge Deborah Batts was so thoroughly convinced that Fredrik Colting’s 60 YEARS LATER infringes CATCHER IN THE RYE that her decision didn’t even seem close. Her written opinion is a sweeping rejection of virtually every argument made on Colting’s behalf. “There is a substantial similarity between Catcher and 60 Years, as well as between the character Holden Caufield and the character Mr. C…such that it was an unauthorized infringement of plaintiff’s copyright.” She found that 60 Years “contains no reasonably discernable rejoinder or specific criticism of any character or […]