Many book retailers were put out by the requirement to write all new contracts with the publishers following the Department of Justice settlement with a handful of the Big Five, but it looks like a viable pricing model may have been found. Since those publishers were forced to abandon the "agency pricing" model, in which the publishers dictate to the retailers how much the book … [Read more...] about Publishers Agree to Agency 2 Pricing Model
Big Six
Amazon Customers to Receive Account Credits from eBook Settlement
As part of the settlement terms in several states' Attorneys General lawsuits against some of the Big Six publishers over alleged ebook price fixing, Amazon customers received some welcome news today: they would be receiving account credits on eligible purchases. Three publishers, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, and Simon&Schuster, settled out of court in the resulting … [Read more...] about Amazon Customers to Receive Account Credits from eBook Settlement
Non-Profit Worldreader Brings on New Publishers
In some positive news for publishers Simon&Schuster and HarperCollins, who have been dealing with the shift in the ebook market and the litigation settlements in the Apple price fixing case brought on by the Department of Justice, the publishers announced a partnership with Worldreader to bring their titles to sub-Saharan Africa as part of the charity’s ebook distribution … [Read more...] about Non-Profit Worldreader Brings on New Publishers
eBook Price Fixing Settlement in EU
While the US courts hear arguments about alleged price fixing and anti-trust issues between Apple and five of the Big Six publishers’ effort to reduce Amazon’s hold on the ebook industry, a similar investigation has been going on in the EU over the same accusations. Just as three of the publishers—Simon and Schuster, Hachette Group, and HarperCollins—settled in the US, Apple … [Read more...] about eBook Price Fixing Settlement in EU
Barnes and Noble Weighs in On the DoJ Lawsuit, Predicting an Apple Victory
Last week, GoodeReader posed a rhetorical question, essentially asking why so many individuals and organizations have voiced their opinions in favor of Apple and several publishers who have been accused of colluding on ebook prices in order to drive consumer traffic away from Amazon. While there is no doubt that some parties may just see a way to bring the online retailer down … [Read more...] about Barnes and Noble Weighs in On the DoJ Lawsuit, Predicting an Apple Victory
ALA 2012 Overshadowed by Concerns about eBook Lending
At the recent American Library Association conference in the Anaheim, California, the current state of ebook lending for public and academic libraries was a dark undercurrent throughout the multi-day event. Various panelists and keynote speakers urged librarians to be patient with the publishers who as of yet have not made much headway with the ALA on how to deliver bestselling … [Read more...] about ALA 2012 Overshadowed by Concerns about eBook Lending
Three of the Big Six Terminate Their Agreement with Apple
The antitrust proceedings against Apple and five of the Big Six publishers are in various stages of resolution. Three of the publishers — Simon&Schuster, Hachette, and HarperCollins —have agreed to settle with the Department of Justice and the various lawsuits brought about by different state courts in the US, while Apple, Penguin, and Macmillan are still going through with … [Read more...] about Three of the Big Six Terminate Their Agreement with Apple
Apple Wants Its Day in Court
Despite having three of its co-defendants in the price fixing lawsuit raised by the Department of Justice take the deal and run, Apple wants to have a court decide the outcome of the allegations against it for price fixing. In the words of one lawyer for the computer giant, it wants to see the decision made on the merits of the case. "Our basic view is that we would like the … [Read more...] about Apple Wants Its Day in Court
Penguin Refuses to Settle in Dept of Justice Lawsuit
In the investigation launched by the Department of Justice against Apple, Inc and five large publishing houses for alleged price-fixing in order to severely wound Amazon.com, the publishers have successfully been divided as to the outcome. The lawsuit, officially filed yesterday by the DoJ, only names Apple and two of the accused publishers, as the remaining three took the … [Read more...] about Penguin Refuses to Settle in Dept of Justice Lawsuit
Big Six Publishers Not Renewing Contracts with Amazon?
Paul Biba at Teleread wrote a fairly concise breakdown of an article that appeared in Salon recently which outlined some of Amazon’s current woes. Oddly enough, as Biba points out, two key issues were very nearly buried in among the pages of the article. The first issue involves the grant money that Amazon is pouring into small independent publishers, apparently to the tune … [Read more...] about Big Six Publishers Not Renewing Contracts with Amazon?