Association of american publishers ebook 2011

Print book sales as tracked by Nielsen Bookscan grew by Adult sales were down 1. In , ebooks comprised 21 percent of AAP trade sales in all, and in they were 23 percent. Constitution, and there is nothing judicious about undermining the free expression protections and licensing decisions that make books and other invaluable creative works possible and sustainable in the first place. It goes without saying that publishers strongly support public libraries, without which the world would surely have fewer readers.

But today the Governor has affirmed that New York has a deep appreciation and enduring respect for the cultural and economic contributions of authors and publishers, and a clear understanding that our public libraries also depend upon a vibrant creative economy.

Slated to take effect on January 1 st , , the Maryland law gives libraries unprecedented control over basic copyright transactions that are clearly reserved to those who write, develop, invest in, distribute, and make publicly available the invaluable array of novels, biographies, historical and political works, poetry, scholarship, and course materials that are the mission of publishing, and which together fuel entertainment, human empowerment, and scientific progress on a global basis.

In seeking to regulate books, Maryland disregarded the testimony of publishers and authors, established law, and market facts. Copyright Act governs the disposition of literary works in commerce—and for that matter, all creative works of authorship.

We take this encroachment very seriously, as the threat that it is to a viable, independent publishing industry in the United States and to a borderless copyright economy.

Although print remains an extremely popular format among readers of all ages, libraries today also have access to a dizzying number of titles in ebook and audiobook formats, just as retail channels do. Publishers must, of course, make balancing decisions about the timing, pricing, and formats of their books, in order to ensure a return on their investments and to achieve the long-term potential value of any particular work.

These incalculable decisions are the means by which all content businesses compete, endure, and serve the public interest, whether they invest in books, music, movies, or newspapers.

Moreover, the legislation is redundant, as publishing houses have long been on the front lines of supporting libraries, from their earliest incarnations to the age of the Internet. The Maryland Act is an impermissible and unconstitutional overreach into federal copyright law and an unjustified effort to divert copyright policy away from the U.

Congress to state assemblies, at the expense of longstanding incentives and protections that are the foundation of our creative economy. For these reasons, some twenty-five years ago, the United States and hundreds of other countries addressed copyright interests arising in the context of the digital environment through a pair of binding instruments known as the WIPO Internet Treaties.

These treaties, which the United States duly affirmed through a combination of existing law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, make clear that the copyright owner has the exclusive right to authorize the digital dissemination or transmission of a creative work, including in new and innovative formats and irrespective of whether the customer is in a bookstore, library, or the comfort of their own home.

Intergovernmental leaders paved the way for the very innovations that led to ebooks and audiobooks, and which will, no doubt, lead to future exciting formats made possible by a free and ever-evolving marketplace. The full complaint can be found here.

Declaration of Maria A. New Pub Dates for Forthcoming Books: Children's Announcements. Stay ahead with Tip Sheet! Free newsletter: the hottest new books, features and more. Premium online access is only available to PW subscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.

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