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Arbitrators: $23.5 million to ex-Vivendi chief| NEW YORK, June 30, 2003 -- Ousted Vivendi chief Jean-Marie Messier, who included Boston book publisher Houghton Mifflin in his now-disintegrated media empire, is entitled to a US$23.5 million severance package, an independent arbitration tribunal in New York ruled. The tribunal found that two Vivendi directors had agreed to the compensation package just before Messier was forced to resign in July 2002. The package, more than quadruple Messier's salary, was the largest in French corporate history. Vivendi had declined to honor the deal. |
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MESSIER
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Report: Houghton chief to resign| BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 28, 2003 -- The president and chief executive of Boston publisher Houghton Mifflin, Hans Gieskes, will resign soon, according to the Boston Globe, which cited an executive as its source. The change would be the first major change since investment firms Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners bought Houghton earlier this year from shrinking French media giant Vivendi. Insiders said that the departure of Gieskes, a Vivendi-appointee, may may signal a greater emphasis on educational publishing at Houghton, the Globe said. The company has been in both trade and educational publishing, but Gieskes' background is weak on the education side. Chief operating officer Sylvia Metayer will run Houghton on an interim basis while the company searches for a new chief executive, the report said. |
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Free access to fed'l research articles?WASHINGTON, June 27, 2003 -- A bill requiring free public access to research articles written with federal-grant money was introduced by Congressman Martin Sabo. The bill would have the effect of undercutting high-profit academic journals that charge subscriptions so high in some cases that many libraries cannot afford them, Sabo acknowledged. The issue, said the Minnesota Democrat, is that taxpayers shouldn't have to pay twice -- once through their tax dollars for the research and again through a fee to read the results. "It is fundamentally unfair when a breast-cancer patient cannot access federally funded research data paid for by her hard-earned tax dollars," Sabo told the Wall Street Journal. The Sabo bill would not allow copyright protection for articles desribing research that has been largely federally funded.
What this means for authors: Research would be easier, especially for authors whose libraries no longer can afford high-end journals. For the authors of these articles, there is no financial effect. The journals don't pay contributors. These authors would still receive recognition through on-line publication on fee-access web sites. Journal publishers would need to adjust their business models. |
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SABO
WHAT SOME JOURNALS COST
Brain Research
$19,971/year
Reed Elsevier
Comparative Neurology
$17,495/year
Wiley
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
$7,540/year
Wolters Kluwer |
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Web-filter decision worries librarians| WASHINGTON, June 26, 2003 -- The U.S. Supreme Court decision on web blocks means information will generally be harder to obtain at libraries, said Judith Krug of the American Library Association. Although the court noted that blocks can be disabled for adult patrons, shortstaffed libraries will in many cases just leave the filters on, Krug said. The decision allows the government to require fiters as a condition for tax support. The American Library Association had challenged the strings-attached provision, part of a 2000 law, on constiotutional grounds that it was a restriction on free inquiry. At the ALA, Krug said the association wioll ecourage libraries to post a signs that filters can easily be turned off. |
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| Thomas Bartlett. "Selling Out: A Textbook Example," Chronicle of Higher Education (June 27, 2003). Pages A8-A10. Bartlett, a news reporter, cites textbook adopters who concede they were paid to adopt textbooks. Upstart publisher North West has written checks for as much as $4,000 in exchange for reviews. Major publisher Pearson is accused of pushing the border on acceptable conduct by cutting royalty deals with adopting departments. Terms like "bribe" and "kickback" pepper Bartlett's article. |
| Calvin R. House. "Good Faith Rejection
and Specific Performance in Contracts: Safeguarding the Author's Reasonable
Expectations," Brooklyn Law Review, Volume 51 (Fall 1984), Pages 95-145. |
Pearson tabs Ames for on-demand workNEW YORK, June 25, 2003 -- The Custom Publishing Division of Pearson Education awarded a long-term contract to Ames On-Demand to provide short-run digital book printing and fulfillment, as well as custom publishing services. The contract covers imprints Addison Wesley, Allyn & Bacon, Longman, Benjamin Cummings and Prentice Hall.
SA2 brings your attention again to the profound implications of print-on-demand technology. This is a contract issue that authors need to be addressed pe-emptively to protect their long-time rights to their work. You may need to update your contracts.
See: SA2 Contract Negotiation Points |
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Authors write health billing web course| ALBANY, New York, June 24, 2003 -- Authors JoAnn C. Rowell and Michelle A. Green wrote an online course based on the print edition of Understanding Health Insurance, A Guide to Professional Billing, being published by educational imprint Delmar, part of Thomson. The course is designed for medical assistants, medical insurance specialists, and health information technicians acquire basic skills in health insurance claims preparation. The course, for self-study or integration into a classroom settings, contains 17 modules. | |
Supreme Court: Web blocks OK| WASHINGTON, June 23, 2003 -- The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a 2000 law that requires libraries to attach filters to their Web connections as a condition for federal funds. In finding the requirment constitutional, the Court ruled against the American Library Association and said that the law was indeed constitutional. The viote was 6-3. Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote that the law doesn't constitute a free-speech violation because it is easy enough for the filters to be disabled. Justice Stevens, writing for the minority, said, however, that the law threatens free speech because of a tendency for "overblocking." |
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Pearson in Jordan education project| AMMAN, Jordan, June 22, 2003 -- The World Economic Forum announced an initiative, which includes publishing giant Pearson and 20 technology companies to be a catalyst for social and economic development in the Middle East. The companies, cooperating in the Jordan Education Initiative, plan to develop a curriculum and to train teachers for 96 schools to be equipped with computers and other technology to promote education and online learning. Math and science will be emphasized. | |
| Scott McLemee. "Seeing Red," Chronicle of Higher Education (June 27, 2003). Pages A11-A13. McLemee revisits long-standing accusations that the late labor historian Philip Foner was not only sloppy in footnoting but lifted massive sections of his books from other works, including research from his students. Foner's defenders are quoted that the accusations are colored by the McCarthyism that plagued Foner's career and shouldn't detract from his contributions, especially on the black labor movement. |
| Diane Ravitch. The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. Knopf, 2003. Ravitch, a scholar who served in the Education Department under President Reagan, has massed the the language foisted on society by the Political Correctness movement. She revels in the silliest reactions to placate the language police. Ravitch argues that language designed to avoid any and all discomfort undermines individuality, clear thinking and expression, and democracy. Says Ravitch: "A free society is not free unless it tolerates offensive words and unpopular opinions." She is especially critical of publishers for buying into diluting textbooks into blandness to not offend the language police from either the right and left. |
Earlbaum launches pop-culture title| MAHWAH, New Jersey, June 21, 2003 -- Academic publisher Lawrence Earlbaum issued the first number of Popular Communication, co-edited by Sharon Mazzarella of Ithaca College and Norma Pecore of Ohio University. Earlbaum said the content will interest scholars in advertising, family studies, social psychology and mass communication. The book review editor is Matthew P. McAllister of Virginia Tech. |
|  EARLBAUM |
Wiley bullish on year ahead| HOBOKEN, New Jersey, June 20, 2003 -- Publisher John Wiley & Son is well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities, said chief executive William Pesce, citing the company's balance sheet and steady cash flow. Pesce told shareholders to expect mid to high single-digit increases in revenues and earnings in fiscal 2004. Results for fiscal 2003 set records. Earnings per diluted share for the fiscal year ended April 30 advanced 18 percent to $1.22 and net income to 76.7 million. Revenues were 16 percent over prior year to a record $854 million. Said Pesce: "In a difficult market environment, Wiley continued to perform admirably, providing tangible evidence of the resiliency of our business and the commitment and perseverance of our colleagues around the world." | |
| ACADEMIC AUTHORING PEOPLE |
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| Carl B. Bishop (chemistry), Clemson University, Muriel B. Bishop (chemistry), Clemson University, and Kenneth W. Whitten (chemistry), University of Georgia, wrote the fifth edition of Standard and Microscale Experiments in General Chemistry (Wadsworth). |
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| Deborah K. Padgett (counseling), New York University, wrote The Qualitative Research Experience (Wadsworth). |
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| Donald Voet (chemistry), University of Pennsylvania, and Judith G. Voet (biochemistry), Swathmore College, wrote the third edition of Biochemistry, (Wiley). |
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Please
tell
us
about
your
latest
project:
EDITOR |
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Author honored for challenging publishers| TORONTO, Ontario, June 20, 2003 -- The Periodical Writers Association of Canada honored novelist and business writer Heather Robertson for leading an authors' class-action suit against Thomson Corporation and others regarding unauthorized use of their works on the Internet and other media. Robertson's commitment to carry through with this challenge cannot be underestimated, the citation said, noting the jeopardy to her own career. The Ontario Superior Court has granted part of Robertson's claim and the other claims are in appeal. |
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Publishers urge sovereign immunity change| WASHINGTON, June 20, 2003 -- U.S. book publishers called on Congress to restore copyright infringement as solely a federal issue. Pat Schroeder, president of the Association of American Publishers, told the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts that copyright abusers have been able in recent years to avoid monetary damages by keeping cases in state courts. Legislation introduced by Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, and Howard Berman, a California Democrat, would indo the state sovereign immunity argument that has worked against publishers. Said Schroder: "It is important that Congress understand why such legislation is necessary for the fair treatment and economic well-being of book publishers and other intellectual property-based industries that are so critical to the U.S. economy." The federal versus state jurisdiction issue has arisen from a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that allow state entities that infringe the rights of patent, trademark and copyright owners under federal statutory law to assert a right of sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment to avoid toclaims for monetary damages in federal court. |
|  SCHROEDER |
McGraw-Hill regroups K-12 operations| NEW YORK, June 19, 2003 -- The name McGraw-Hill/Contemporary will disappear in a restructuring of McGraw K-12 units. William Oldsey, executive vice president of McGraw-Hill Education, said the restructuring will help leverage growth opportunities within the K-12 alternative basal and supplementary markets. In the new structure, a new entity called McGraw-Hill Learning Group. will include two operating units -- SRA and Wright Group. In charge will be Peter Sayeski, who has been president of SRA. In the new scheme. SRA will focus on skill-based programs and continue to publish the Open Court Reading and the Direct Instruction product lines, as well as many other supplemental SRA titles. Wright Group will be responsible for the Everyday Mathematics product line, the Breakthrough to Literacy program, DLM Early Childhood publications, the Contemporary adult education products, and the supplemental titles from Creative Publications, Shortland-Mimosa, Wright Group and National Textbook. | |
| ACADEMIC AUTHORING PEOPLE |
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| Jay M. Pasachoff (astronomy), Williams College, and Alex Filippenko (astronomy), University of California, Berkeley, wrote the second edition of The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium (Wadsworth). |
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| Joycelyn M. Pollock (criminal justice), Southwest Texas State University, wrote the fourth edition of Ethics in Crime and Justice: Dilemmas and Decisions (Wadsworth). |
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Please
tell
us
about
your
latest
project:
EDITOR |
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Samuel Johnson Prize to Oxford author| LONDON, June 19, 2003 -- An Oxford University professor, T.J. Binyon, won the $48,000 Samuel Johnson Prize for his biography of the Russian poet Pushkin. The book is due in the United States in October. Binyon, who teaches Russian literature, spent time in the Soviet Union strudying Pushkin. His book, Pushkin: A Biography, is the first full-length, authoritative account of Pushkin's life and times since 1937. Binyon's earlier works include two crime novels. In the Samuel Johnson competition, Binyon's previous books comprise two crime novels and a study of detectives in fiction. The Pushin book is not scheduled for release in the U.S. until October. Binyon was a surrise winner over Claire Tomalin's biography of Samuel Pepys. Tomalin is a former literary editor at the New Statesma and the Sunday Times. She's written six highly acclaimed biographies and hold the Whitbread Award. |
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| Houghton Mifflin: First-quarter 2003 sales rose 6.1 percent to $132.8 million, led by a 25 percent increase in the el-hi division to $69.6 million. College division sales grew 3.5 percent to $21 million.
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| Wiley: Sales grew 16 percent to $854 million in the fiscal year ending April 30, compared to a year earlier, much of the growth due to acqusitions of Hungry Mindas, GIT Velag and A&M Publishing. Wthout Hungry Minds, sales grew 8 percent. Earnings grew 18 percent. College revenues grew 7 percent to $203 million. Professional and trade revenue grew 27 percent. Scientific, medical and technical revenues grew 2 percent.
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Publishers cheer Congressional copyright caucus| WASHINGTON, June 19, 2003 -- The Association of American Publishers applauded the creation of a bipartisan House Caucus focusing on intellectual property promotion and piracy prevention. "We're thrilled to see that recognition of the contribution that intellectual property makes to the U.S. economy has now led to the creation of a bipartisan House forum that will work to promote a healthy legal and public policy environment for intellectual property," said Patricia Schroeder, AAP president. "AAP looks forward to working with the Caucus to educate Congress and the public on how effective copyright protection benefits consumers as well as authors and publishers, and to develop viable solutions to the growing problem of piracy of copyrighted works." |
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SINGLED OUT FOR AAP CREDIT
Mary Bono
Republican
Calfornia
Tom Feeney
Republican
Florida
Adam Smith
Democrat
Washington
Robert Wexler
Democrat
Florida |
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| Mark Fowler. "The 'Satisfactory
Manuscript' Clause in Book Publishing Contracts," Columbia-VLA Journal of
Law and the Arts, Volume 3 (Fall 1987), Pages 8-17. |
| Mary Ellen Lepionka. Writing and Developing Your College Textbook.Atlantic Path Publishing, 2003. A comprehensive desk reference and guide for academic authors and editors on textbook publishing in higher education. |
| Kate Wittenberg. "Schoarly Editing in the Digital Age," Chronicle of Higher Education (June 20, 2003), Page B-12. Wittenberg, directror of the Electronic Publishing Initirative at Columbia University, sees "a brave new world" in which authors, editors and designers become truly collabortive. She sees less processing and more creating. |
Thomson funds Canadian math prizeTORONTO, Ontario, June 19, 2003 -- Two Thomson publishing units and the Canadian Mathematical Society created a college teaching excellence award. The Thomson sponsors, which ut up $10,000 to start the project, are Nelson and Brooks/Cole. Christiane Rousseau, president of the Canadian Mathematical Society, said the award will recognize "exceptional performance in the classroom, as well as commitment and dedication to teaching and to students." Winners will receive a $2,500 cash prize.
DETAILS | |
AAP widens digitized product coding| WASHINGTON, June 19, 2003 -- The Association of American Publishers is expanding its use of digital object identifiers for e-learning materials, performance support, and knowledge management. Ed McCoyd, digital policy director at AAP, said materials are being registered with the Internet sioftware company Learning Objects Network. which has worked on previous digitzation of AAP materials. the item-unique identifiers assure that digital content can be found, accessed and updated easily any place in the world, McCoyd said. |
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Canadian author of year: Carol Shields| TORONTO, Ontario, June 19, 2003 -- The Canadian Booksellers Association named Carol Shields author of the year. The association's non-fiction prize went to Margaret MacMillan for Paris 1919 and the fiction prize to Guy Vanderhaeg for The Last Crossing. Patrick Crean, of Thomas Allen Publishers, was named editor of the year. Vancouver-based Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group was named publisher of the year, beating out HarperCollinsCanada and Random House of Canada. House of Anansi Press was named small press publisher of the year. |
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