Tag Archives: ibookstore

Apple buys Texture, the ‘Netflix of magazine plans’

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Apple's bids to promote digital magazines haven't always been fruitful (remember The Daily?), but it's about to give them another boost. The company has acquired Texture, the Netflix-style magazine subscription service that gives you access to a hos...

DOJ defends Apple e-book price fixing injunction, says publishers had it easy

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E-book on an iPad

The US Department of Justice isn't buying publishers' arguments that proposed injunctions against Apple for alleged e-book price fixing are excessive and contradictory. DOJ attorney Lawrence Buterman claims in a response letter that the penalties against Apple are necessarily harsher, since it didn't settle the accusations like its reported co-conspirators. The group objection even justifies Apple's punishment, Buterman claims; it suggests that publishers are just waiting until the end of a two-year ban on agency pricing to raise prices once again. The five-year restriction imposed on Apple could keep prices down for longer, the lawyer says.

Apple, meanwhile, isn't done with its objections. In addition to an earlier request for a stay on proceedings pending an appeal, it now contends that the court excluded or ignored testimony while giving Amazon and Google witnesses too much credibility. The company will present more of its opinion at a conference today with both the DOJ and the presiding judge, but we're not expecting a quick resolution -- neither side is budging at this stage.

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Via: CNET, GigaOM

Source: Letters to the court (1), (2), (3), (4)

US federal judge rules Apple conspired to raise e-book prices

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Following a non-jury trial that ended on June 20th, US District Judge Denise Cote has ruled that Apple conspired to raise the retail prices of e-books, according to a Reuters report published this morning. Apple has been at the focus of the Manhattan-based antitrust trial, which began last month, with publishers Macmillan and Penguin Group named as co-defendants. The violation here centered on Apple's agency pricing model, in which publishers set the price of each book and give sellers a 30 percent cut, rather than a traditional wholesale model in which retailers set the pricing at their own stores. Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of Internet Software and Services, who was tagged as the "chief ringleader of the conspiracy" by the DOJ, went on the record earlier this year to say that some prices were inflated since the launch of the iBookstore in April of 2010 -- a statement which likely didn't help Cupertino's case. A trial for damages will reportedly follow soon.

Update: TechCrunch has received the below statement from an Apple spokesperson.

Apple did not conspire to fix ebook pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations. When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. We've done nothing wrong and we will appeal the judge's decision.

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Source: Reuters

Apple France raided over claims that it gives resellers the cold shoulder

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Apple France raided over concerns it gives resellers the cold shoulder

Few would doubt that Apple prioritizes its own stores -- they're ambassadors for the brand. However, France's Competition Authority has just raided Apple and its distributors over complaints that this preference comes at the expense of resellers. Recently bankrupt retailer eBizscuss claims that Apple both stalls on delivering products to third-party stores and denies those outlets any flexibility in pricing. In other words, it's allegedly impossible to compete fairly when Apple holds all the cards. We've reached out to Apple for comment, although the Competition Authority is so far willing only to confirm to Les Echos that the raids took place. Whether or not the searches lead to any substantive legal action, Apple may face extra heat in France -- the Authority is reportedly investigating accusations that the American firm unfairly hiked the minimum pricing for iBookstore periodicals.

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Via: SlashGear, MarketWatch

Source: Les Echos (translated)

Apple brings iBooks to the Mac

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iBooks for Mac

iBooks has been limited to iOS devices for the past three years, but that's changing today: as of OS X Mavericks, Apple is bringing its reading app to the Mac. The software preserves all the features of its mobile counterparts, including highlights, notes and textbooks. Naturally, you can shop for books from the app as well. Apple only gave us a brief preview of iBooks at WWDC, but we can already say it's a more than welcome update for those who don't stop reading just because they're at their desks.

Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.

Gallery: WWDC 2013: Apple iBooks

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Source: Apple

Apple starts offering paid iBookstore content in Japan

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Apple starts offering paid iBookstore content to Japan

While Apple's iBookstore is available in numerous countries, readers who sit outside of a certain privileged zone have had to make do with public domain e-books at best. The Japanese won't have to settle as of today: a low-key iBookstore expansion gives them access to paid content, including manga and other more localized material. Accordingly, there's an iBooks 3.1 app update rolling out that both unlocks "hundreds of thousands" of titles in the Japanese store and improves support for Asian languages as a whole. Residents who've been looking for the most official means of reading JoJolion on their iPads just need to grab the refreshed iBooks at the source.

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Source: App Store

Apple adds Breakout Books to the iBookstore to spotlight the self-published

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Apple adds Breakout Books to the iBookstore to give the selfpublished their due

As glad as we are that digital bookstores let authors skip the usual gatekeepers, that doesn't help much if they can't get noticed. Apple is giving those self-publishing writers more of a chance to shine with the launch of a permanent Breakout Books section in the US iBookstore. The section highlights hot-selling and well-reviewed independent books, many of them from distributors like Smashwords. Don't see the placement as a purely altruistic gesture, though: many of the books sell for significantly less than their peers from major publishers, which might help Apple snag a few more impulse purchases than it would otherwise. We doubt there will be many complaints when the category could pad both sides' wallets.

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Via: New York Times

Source: iTunes, Smashwords

Penguin joins publishers settling with the DOJ over e-book prices

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E-book price fixing

The US Department of Justice may have only reached settlements with three of the five major publishers it had sued for allegedly fixing e-book prices, but it's improving its track record through a new deal with Penguin. Like its peers, the firm has agreed to end any pacts that prevent it from lowering e-book prices, whether the arrangements are with Apple or any other store operator. While Penguin hasn't immediately commented on its change of heart, a company spokesperson made clear to The Guardian that an EU settlement was for "clearing the decks" ahead of a joint venture with Random House -- Penguin didn't want government scrutiny looming over its union. The truce leaves Macmillan as the last book giant still slated to go to court in the US, and it may not get much support when Apple was part of the European agreement.

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Source: Reuters

iBookstore lines its shelves with paid content in New Zealand, 17 Latin American countries

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iBookstore lines its shelves with paid content in New Zealand, 17 Latin American countries

iDevice owners in New Zealand and 17 Latin American countries are no longer restricted to a diet composed of free content when it comes to their respective iBookstores. A quick search of the storefronts will reveal virtual shelves stocked with paid-content that haven't yet found their way to the shops' homepages. Reside in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru or Venezuela? Head on over to the appropriate store and books with price tags will be available for purchase. If this is any sign of what Apple has up its sleeve for tomorrow, we suspect that "a little more" will involve a bit of reading.

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iBookstore lines its shelves with paid content in New Zealand, 17 Latin American countries originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warner Bros. intros ‘Inside the Script’ eBook series, gives film buffs a deeper look

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Warner Bros. intros 'Inside the Script' eBook series, gives film buffs a deeper look

From time to time, we see movie studio Warner Bros. bring forth ways to give its oldies-but-goodies a longer life span. On this occasion, Warner's launching a novel eBook series titled "Inside the Script." The new release will give movie buffs a deeper look into a handful of the studio's films, which will include tidbits such as complete shooting scripts, deets about the flick's development and other "rare" goods. At launch, Warner will offer classics like Casablanca, Ben-Hur, An American in Paris and North by Northwest -- all available now on iBooks, Kindle and B&N's NOOK for $10 each. Those eager to flip through the antique pages can head to the source below, where you'll be able to grab the version best suited for your device.

Continue reading Warner Bros. intros 'Inside the Script' eBook series, gives film buffs a deeper look

Warner Bros. intros 'Inside the Script' eBook series, gives film buffs a deeper look originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 23:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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