Breaking news on authors, publishers, and book-related topics

Google Settlement rejected

Mar 22 2011: In a stunning setback, Judge Denny Chin today rejected the Google Book Settlement, some 13 months after its final fairness hearing. "In the end, I conclude that the [Settlement Agreement] is not fair, adequate, and reasonable." Chin set a date of April 25th for a status...

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Bi Feiyu wins Man Asian Literary Prize

Mar 17 2011: Chinese author Bi Feiyu was awarded the Man Asian Literary Prize 2010 for his novel Three Sisters in a ceremony in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The prize includes a $30,000 award for Bi Feiyu and a $5,000 translation award to be split between Sylvia Li-chun Li and Howard ...

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Newspaper Guild Calls For Strike Against Huffington Post

Mar 17 2011: In a sternly worded release, the 26,000-member Newspaper Guild has called for all unpaid writers at The Huffington Post to go on strike.

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Kindle offered for free with two-year contract in UK

Mar 16 2011: Industry predictions that Amazon will eventually offer the Kindle for free with some sort of contractual obligation moved a step closer to reality this week when the UK chain Carphone Warehouse announced that people taking out two-year contracts on select handsets will ...

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ALA responds to Harper Collins re limit on ebook lending

Mar 15 2011: The American Library Association yesterday took a position for the first time in response to HarperCollins' new library ebook licensing restrictions, saying "As libraries cope with stagnant or decreased budgets, the recent decision by publisher HarperCollins to restrict...

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Borders likely to close more stores

Mar 14 2011: Borders Group may close as many as 75 more stores beyond the 200 currently being shut down, CEO Mike Edwards said in a conference call last Friday.

The company "does not anticipate a major closure program" involving its 148 small format and airport stores, which ...

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UK report finds that changing copyright laws could stifle creative sector worth 8% of GDP

Mar 11 2011: Changing copyright laws in the UK could strike a blow to investment in literature, a report has found....

"Therefore changing intellectual property regulations to 'benefit' companies such as Google, which reproduces content 'at the expense of people who create ...

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Winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards

Mar 11 2011: The winners of this year's National Book Critics Circle Awards have been announced:

• NBCC Award for Fiction:
  A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
  
  
• NBCC Award for Nonfiction:
  The Warmth of Other Suns by ...

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