Most people don't think of copyright law when they think of gripping drama and suspenseful twists and turns, but the truth is copyright is actually quite fascinating. Of course, no one is more fascinated right now than the litigants in a case involving copyright over Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes characters.To understand the ramifications of a case that is … [Read more...] about US Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Copyright Arguments over Sherlock Holmes
Digital Publishing News
Verso App Gives Teachers a Powerful Assessment Tool for Student Engagement
It's the same in every classroom, in every school, in every subject area. Certain students are "getting it" and engaging with the content, while other students are trailing behind, getting more and more lost and less and less likely to admit it. But a new assessment tool that lets students structure their own questions, responses, and discussion points offers teachers the … [Read more...] about Verso App Gives Teachers a Powerful Assessment Tool for Student Engagement
New Author Earnings Report Compiles Mid-Year Numbers
Author Earnings, who has a two-fold mission that encompasses supporting authors of every publishing path, has released a new report, this time looking not only at the data so far up to July 2014, but also mapping out the trends that the data can help identify.The comprehensive and exhaustingly complete report provides graphs on a variety of factors in publishing, all aimed … [Read more...] about New Author Earnings Report Compiles Mid-Year Numbers
More Speculation on the Final Bill for Apple’s Price Fixing Problems
News was announced yesterday from the lawyers for the plaintiffs in one of Apple's side lawsuits over ebook pricing that the grand total the company could have to pay out to consumers is $400 million. This amount was disclosed after the terms of the settlement were released following Judge Denise Cote's approval of the settlement.This settlement isn't to be confused with … [Read more...] about More Speculation on the Final Bill for Apple’s Price Fixing Problems
Kobo Adds Catalog of Dr. Seuss Titles
Kids ebooks have been slow to take off, despite the great content coming out from companies like iStoryTime and Scholastic. But Kobo, whose Kobo Kids' Store offers younger readers a catalog of over 100,000 ebook titles, recenlty secured a deal that would add some of the most beloved children's books of all time to its catalog. This week, Kobo announced that it would offer 40 of … [Read more...] about Kobo Adds Catalog of Dr. Seuss Titles
Amazon Enters eBook Subscription Market with Kindle Unlimited
It's rare that Amazon isn't leading the charge in some aspect of the book industry, but news came out today that Amazon is experimenting with ebook subscription models. In the often-compared Netflix climate, this would allow consumers to read unlimited content for one flat monthly fee.GigaOm grabbed a link to the page for the new feature on Amazon.com, as reported by … [Read more...] about Amazon Enters eBook Subscription Market with Kindle Unlimited
Hearst Offers New Cosmo-Themed Digital Video Subscription Service
As more and more print publishers look for ways to stay relevant in the digital landscape, creative solutions to meeting their readers' needs continue to evolve. This is especially true of print periodical publishers, as more consumers are turning to other sources to stay on top of news and entertainment.Hearst Corporation, who is arguably one of the largest media … [Read more...] about Hearst Offers New Cosmo-Themed Digital Video Subscription Service
Report: Amazon to Purchase Simon and Schuster
The publishing industry could be turned onto its head with a recent revelation that Amazon is in talks with big 5 publisher Simon and Schuster. No one seems to know what the discussions are about, whether it has to do with eBook pricing or if they are talking about an acquisition. If Amazon were to purchase S&S it would give Amazon major distribution to physical bookstores … [Read more...] about Report: Amazon to Purchase Simon and Schuster
Sweeping Changes in UK Govt Could Have Impact on Digital Publishing
The Internet was buzzing this morning with the news of UK Prime Minister David Cameron's intense reshuffling of people and positions in his cabinet, swapping roles for some of them and ousting others altogether. Of course, the headline grabber in the reordering is the loss of Michael Gove as the head of education, a change that has more than a few teachers, parents, students, … [Read more...] about Sweeping Changes in UK Govt Could Have Impact on Digital Publishing
Amazon Offer Rejected by Hachette, Authors’ Organization
In a semi-olive branch move, Amazon offered last week to extend 100% of the sales price of Hachette titles to the authors themselves, in a conciliatory move meant to eradicate fears that Amazon's alleged "sanctions" against Hachette have hurt their authors. In an effort to avoid dragging the children into this while the grown-ups fight, Amazon offered to give the entire … [Read more...] about Amazon Offer Rejected by Hachette, Authors’ Organization
Data Conversion Laboratory Webinar Explores eBooks in the K12 Classroom
One of the last groups to adopt ebooks in a widespread and focused way is the K12 education sphere. While digital textbooks have been painfully slow to reach the public school market, ebooks have been an even slower format when it comes to kids and reading. OverDrive has made ebooks even more accessible, though, along with initiatives like Qlovi and Smashwords' OverDrive … [Read more...] about Data Conversion Laboratory Webinar Explores eBooks in the K12 Classroom
Iconic Bookstore’s Owner Retires, Gifts Store to Employees
A Canadian bookstore owner is set to retire soon, which would ordinarily not make news headlines. Even with the recent news of a local citizen in the US who launched a Kickstarter campaign to purchase her town's independent bookstore from its retiring owners, a bookstore closing due to the age and employment status of its proprietor isn't attention grabbing.But in the case … [Read more...] about Iconic Bookstore’s Owner Retires, Gifts Store to Employees
eBook Review: The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor
Verdict: 4 StarsI adore well-done historical fiction, and as a particular favorite category, I never get tired of Titanic stories. There is so much to be said and learned, because essentially the ship carried--and lost--more than 1,500 different stories. It would be a treasure to know them all.In Gaynor's title, the story of the Titanic is almost a side plot of its own … [Read more...] about eBook Review: The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor
The Stigma Around Erotica Continues
Despite the fact that Fifty Shades of Grey is old news--at least the book, the film doesn't release until Valentine's Day next year--and the door to free publishing of adult content has been thrown wide open since EL James' book took newsstands by storm, critics are still claiming the downfall of human society due to the abundance of explicit content. Interestingly, it seems … [Read more...] about The Stigma Around Erotica Continues
UK Society of Authors: Traditional Publishing No Longer in Authors’ Best Interests
Thanks largely to Hugh Howey's recent post about the need for organizations that truly work on behalf of authors rather than their own self-interests, serious discussion has opened up about the need for a better structure that works to speak up for writers and their work. Organizations like the Author's Guild have recently been questioned as their interests lie in furthering … [Read more...] about UK Society of Authors: Traditional Publishing No Longer in Authors’ Best Interests
Author Rejects Award Due to Amazon Backing
The ultimate in low class and poor breeding has occurred in the book world as an author turned down a major award due to its association with Amazon. UK-based children's book author Allan Ahlberg declined the Booktrust Best Book Awards‘ Lifetime Achievement Award because the £5,000 prize money had been donated by Amazon.Unlike vocal protests from other authors lately, … [Read more...] about Author Rejects Award Due to Amazon Backing