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Copyright
AAUP Opposes Research Works Act, FRPAA
The Association of American University Presses this week said it does not support the Research Works Act, and also voiced opposition to a competing bill, Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA), which would mandate public access.
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Copyright
Could Backlash to Research Works Act Boost FRPAA’s Odds of Passage?
Congress last week introduced the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2012 (FRPAA), a bill that would mandate free public online access to taxpayer-funded research for all federal agencies with extramural research budgets over $100 million.
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The Tools of Change PerspectiveA Call for a Unified E-book Market: The ToC Perspective
O'Reilly Media's general manager, publisher and a chair of the TOC conferences, Joe Wikert, takes on the current e-book market in his first column for PW.
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Content / e-books
Academic E-Books: Innovation and Transition
There is a growing crisis in the academic monograph marketplace, but organizations are rallying to devise new solutions.
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Content / e-books
Fair Trade: Random House Will Raise Library E-book Prices, But Commits to E-Book Lending
At a meeting with ALA leaders this week, Random House officials said the company will raise the price of e-books to libraries, but that it will continue to make its digital titles available to lend.
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Cory Doctorow
With A Little Help: Digital Lysenkoism
Talking with the lower echelon employees of publishing reminds me of a description I once read about the mutual embarrassment of Western and Soviet biologists when they talked about genetics. Soviet-era scientists were required, on pain of imprisonment, to endorse Lysenkoism, a discredited theory of inheritance favored by Stalin for ideological reasons.
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Content / e-books
As ALA Midwinter Closes, A Crucial Moment Looms For E-Books
As the ALA Midwinter Meeting wound down yesterday, PW caught up with ALA executive director Keith Fiels for an exclusive talk about e-books, and the librarians’ upcoming meetings in New York.
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Conferences
At ALA Midwinter, Librarians Hear Messages of “Empowerment”
When Molly Raphael became president of the American Library Association in 2011, she unveiled an agenda that focused on empowerment—and at the ALA 2012 Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, TX, “empowerment” has been an overarching theme.
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Copyright
ALA Midwinter 2012: Panel Tells Librarians to Go Forth and Digitize
Despite recent lawsuits over e-reserves, digital archives, and orphan works, at a two-hour program at ALA Midwinter, panelists urged librarians to go forth and digitize, that they already have the sturdy legal cover they need to proceed: fair use.
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Content / e-books
Pew Says Ownership of Tablets and E-Readers Doubled Over the Holidays
The Pew Internet and American Life Project today released a "mini-report" on the adoption of tablets and e-readers that the number of Americans owning e-reader devices jumped from 18% to 29%, meaning that nearly 1 in 3 Americans now owns a device.
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Awards & Prizes
Eugenides and Hochschild Among 2011 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists
At a gala event at Artists Space in downtown New York, the NBCC announced its finalists for awards for 2011 books in six categories, along with winners of two honorary citations. Click to read our reviews of all of the finalist books.
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Copyright
After Protest, Legislators Withdraw Support for SOPA, PIPA
After what’s being called “the largest online protest in Internet history,” legislators are withdrawing support for the SOPA abd PIPA bills.
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Copyright
SOPA, PROTECT IP Opponents Protest with Online Blackout
Thousands of Web sites which oppose the controversial “anti-piracy” bills SOPA and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) are protesting against the proposed legislation with a 24-hour blackout.
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Copyright
White House, Congressional Leaders Come Out Against SOPA
In a statement, the White House this week said it would not support any bill that would “inhibit innovation,” for American business and vowed to protect "the openness of the Internet."
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Nancy Pearl
Check it Out with Nancy Pearl: New Year's Resolutions 2012
Resolutions! It’s the first column of the New Year, and we all know that with new years come New Year’s resolutions. If you had a chance to make literary, library, or publishing resolutions for 2012, what would they be?
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Publisher News
Nancy Pearl Teams with Amazon for “Book Lust Rediscoveries” Series
Amazon today announced that it has launched a new series with “America’s favorite librarian” (and PW columnist) Nancy Pearl.
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Publisher News
Publishers Back Bill to Ban Public Access Mandates to Federally Funded Research
A recently introduced bill in the House of Representatives would bar the federal government from mandating that the public have free access to the research it funds has the backing of the AAP.
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Publisher News
Bestsellers ’11: The Year in Bestselling Books
It seems almost retro to be writing an article on 2011 bestsellers focused on print only, especially in a year that saw major gains in e-book sales and when one of the hottest holiday gifts was a Kindle. Current estimates put e-book sales at about 20% of total book sales, with higher figures projected for this year. According to an online CNNMoney report, the Kindle e-reader was Amazon’s top seller in December, boasting more than a million Kindles each week during the gift-shopping season. The story also noted that 2011 sales of e-book readers at Amazon outpaced 2010 sales by more than 175%.
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Copyright
Google Files Motion to Dismiss Lawsuits
As expected, on Thursday Google filed a motion to dismiss the Authors Guild as an associational plaintiff from the long-running book-scanning case, and also moved to sever the American Society of Media Photographers from its related suit against Google.
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Copyright
SOPA Mark-Up Session Delayed Until Next Year; An Opening for OPEN?
With Congress embroiled in a fight over extending the payroll tax cut, House Judiciary Committee spokeswoman Kim Smith confirmed that Wednesday's scheduled Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) hearing has been delayed. Smith said the committee expected the bill to be taken up again "early next year."
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