Friday News: Google’s Book Project is fair use; Derek Jeter turns to publishing; 50 Shades library copies may be contaminated
Google wins fair use ruling against the Author’s Guild (pdf link)– The Google Book Settlement was thrown out and the case proceeded forward as fast as a newborn snail. A summary judgment ruling from Judge Chin (now on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals) gave Google a decisive victory. Scanning a full text, indexing it, and then displaying snippets in preview is fair use.
Next Chapter in Jeter’s Career? Book Publishing – Because when I think Derek Jeter I immediately think of quality books, the move by Simon & Schuster to pay an untold sum of money for the “Derek Jeter” imprint makes tons of sense. (Sarcasm mode on)
The publishing imprint will include nonfiction books for adults, like biographies and titles on business and lifestyle; children’s picture books; middle-grade fiction; and books for young children who are just learning to read. Jeter suggested the book enterprise might lead to other ways of presenting content, like films or television. NYTimes.com
Fifty Shades of Grey Tests Positive for Traces of Herpes Virus | TIME.com – Here’s a case for why digital library lends are sooooo much better.
“Two Belgian university professors decided to apply their knowledge of toxicology screenings to the 10 most borrowed books at the Antwerp library. Each book underwent bacteriology and toxicology tests, and the findings reveal that library books are even more germ-covered than you expected. While the experts found that all 10 books contained traces of cocaine–enough so that people who touched the books wouldn’t feel the effects, but might test positive for the drug–they also found something pretty gross: Fifty Shades of Grey, your weird aunt’s favorite mainstream erotic series, tested positive for traces of the herpes virus. Time
Dump your Kindle, bookseller urges as Amazon targets Australia – Would you trade your Kindle for a $50 voucher at your local bookseller? That’s what this bookseller wants you to do. One person in my inbox commented that she reads on her Kindle App and many people on Twitter were pretty much “I’ll give up my Kindle when my last breath has released.”
Des Hommes et des Chatons – And finally, because I love you all, here’s a tumblr full of kittens. Des Hommes et des Chatons
“… here’s a tumblr full of kittens.”
There were kittens?
Thank you, Jane!!!
Thank you so much for those ………. kittens
Dump my kindle? Aside from the fact that I plan to be buried with my kindle… $50?! If they’re serious, they could at least offer what one costs.
That is one of my most favourite tumblrs! Mmm. Kittens.
I get that indie bookstores are struggling, but even with a Kindle I still buy plenty of physical books. The indie stores around here don’t have romance sections, so I still wouldn’t be buying books there if I gave up my Kindle…
I had a weird Charlton Heston “you can pry it out of my cold dead hands” moment at the thought of giving up my kindle
Des Hommes et des Chatons. Merci beaucoup Jane :-).
I knew about the Cute Boys with Cats site, but not this one. Thx.
And here’s an idea–why don’t those indies work on providing a positive experience and the books customers want to read instead of cheap ploys?
I totally get that indies are struggling. I am torn. I l0ve books, printed OR ebooks. What I love is the reading of them, the words & ideas in them. I don’t really care about the delivery method, as long as I get to read. And ebooks are easier, save MASSIVE amounts of space for me, because I read so much, and just make sense.
I really feel like indie stores are akin to buggy makers protesting autos. It’s cruel, but “adapt or die” pertains here. Start an indie publishing collective. find a way to to thrive. But they aren’t going to survive just by complaining about ebooks/ereaders. That shark has been jumped.