On July 4th 2023, Canada's Federal Research Granting Agencies launched a review into the Tri-Agency Open Access (OA) Policy on Publications. The goal is to find a way by 2025, if not sooner, to provide free access to all academic publications and to support research generated by the Tri-Agency. This initiative includes several departments; Canadian Institutes of Health … [Read more...] about Secondary Publishing Rights to Improve Public Access
Business News and Statistics
Security and Privacy Practices of E-Reader Apps and Devices
When it comes to the printed word, paper is no longer the go-to medium. Increasingly, e-reader apps and devices are replacing physical books with a convenient and portable alternative.However, as with any digital technology, these e-readers come with their own set of security and privacy concerns. As their usage increases, especially in sectors like education, these concerns … [Read more...] about Security and Privacy Practices of E-Reader Apps and Devices
Global Alternative Investment Firm H.I.G. Capital to Acquire RBmedia
Image credit: fusoesaquisicoes KKR and H.I.G. Capital has recently made an announcement that it is an affiliate of H.I.G. will acquire RBmedia and handle their next growth and development, according to Business Wire. This came after the news of KKR selling RBmedia flourished across the internet. With more than 60,000 exclusive audiobooks and 8000 new titles published every … [Read more...] about Global Alternative Investment Firm H.I.G. Capital to Acquire RBmedia
Authors Write Open Letter to AI Companies for Copyright Infringement
The Internet is flooded by AI models like Chat GPT, and the reviews are mixed. While some people consider it ideal for analytical and decision-making tasks, several others have accused these models of piracy, lack of creativity, and limited contextual understanding. One such industry that's witnessing a tough time with AI models is the book industry.After AI-oriented … [Read more...] about Authors Write Open Letter to AI Companies for Copyright Infringement
Who is Reading More Self-Help Books: Men or Women?
According to NPD Group, an American market research company, U.S. sales of self-help books have exploded in recent years by 11% from 2013 to 2019. The self-help literature is one of the fastest-growing nonfiction genres, and the market is expected to reach $14.0 billion by 2025.But who is driving this growth - men or women?The quickest answer is – maybe, women!To … [Read more...] about Who is Reading More Self-Help Books: Men or Women?
Print Book Sales Dropped in the First Half of 2023
After making strikingly strong sales during the pandemic, print books had a 6.5% drop in unit sales in 2022. The numbers remain steady in Q1 2023, and this was largely due to Prince Harry’s Spare, which is a 2023 non-fiction bestseller for now.Prince Harry’s explosive memoir sold more than 3.2 million copies globally in the first week of its publication. But in Q2 2023, no … [Read more...] about Print Book Sales Dropped in the First Half of 2023
Lawsuit filed against Amazon for ‘Tricking’ Users Into Prime Subscriptions
Amazon has been accused of using deceptive practices by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). On June 21st, the FTC alleged that the e-commerce whale had purposely tricked millions of consumers by forcing them to sign up for Prime subscriptions through deceptive user interface designs.Over the last few years there have been mounting complaints against Amazon Prime's sign up … [Read more...] about Lawsuit filed against Amazon for ‘Tricking’ Users Into Prime Subscriptions
Authors sign open letter to AI CEOs
In April, The New York Times wrote a piece tracking the progress of a baby AI which learned from "reading" only Jane Austin Novels. The article states, "(AI's) are trained by going through mountains of internet text. In just an hour of training on a laptop, a language model can go from generating random characters to a very crude approximation of language." The article goes on … [Read more...] about Authors sign open letter to AI CEOs
Italian Publishers Lost €771 to Book Piracy in 2021
In 2019, the Association of Italian Publishers and the Italian Federation of Newspaper Publishers conducted research to determine the scale of piracy in the Italian market. The study was reported in January 2020, revealing an annual loss of €1.3 billion to the Italian books and newspaper industry.A follow-up study was released in March 2022, reporting that book piracy cost … [Read more...] about Italian Publishers Lost €771 to Book Piracy in 2021
Bookeen has been sold to Vivlio
Bookeen is a French company that has been making e-readers since 2003, and they almost exclusively focused on selling e-readers in France and, to a lesser extent, Europe. Over the past twelve months, they have had significant financial difficulties and were basically out of money. During the summer of 2022, they owed some hefty amounts of money to their creditors and the … [Read more...] about Bookeen has been sold to Vivlio
Ebook revenue were up 12.2% in March, 2023
For the first time in 2023, ebook sales in the United States increased. The format had a 12.2% gain and generated $88.1 million. The digital audiobook format was up 14.1% for March, reaching $66.2 million in revenue. Physical Audio was down 43.4%, coming in at $700 thousand.Trade revenues were up 0.2% in March, reaching $710.9 million. In terms of physical paper format … [Read more...] about Ebook revenue were up 12.2% in March, 2023
Meta Will Be Testing Their News Block Initiative in Canada
Meta has stopped featuring news content for some users in Canada after the Online News Act was introduced. As per the reports, about 1 to 5% of Canadian users needed help to check/share news content on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.Media organizations will be chosen randomly and notified about blocking their news content for some users during the test. … [Read more...] about Meta Will Be Testing Their News Block Initiative in Canada
Good e-Reader is now a distributor for Hanvon e-readers and e-notes
Good e-Reader is proud to announce that they have signed Hanvon to a long-term distribution deal. Their N10 series of e-readers and digital note-taking devices are available on the Good e-Reader and Shopify stores. Prices are standardized, which means Good e-Reader charges the exact amount that Hanvon charges in China without any added surcharge. Hanvon is one of the oldest … [Read more...] about Good e-Reader is now a distributor for Hanvon e-readers and e-notes
5 Benefits of Bedtime Reading: What Does the Science Say?
Bedtime reading is a hygienic activity that can stimulate good sleep. It can reduce stress and strengthen the mind. Just like physical exercise can boost your body strength, reading before bed can increase your brain function and reduce mental clatter. It can also calm your mind and give you a break from screen time.While reading is a great hobby for your leisure time, it … [Read more...] about 5 Benefits of Bedtime Reading: What Does the Science Say?