Industry & Advocacy News
December 31, 2021
Happy New Year! The Authors Guild scores two victories captured in the press; the veto of New York’s proposed eBook law and a default judgment in the Kiss Library piracy case. Winnie the Pooh and dozens of other books published in 1926 enter the public domain; 31 of the best podcasts for writers; an update on 2022 copyright issues; and more.
Photo: Langston Hughes (Creative Commons License: Wikipedia). Hughes’ poetry collection The Weary Blues enters the public domain January 1, 2022
Hochul Vetoes New York’s Library E-book BillPublishers WeeklyNew York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the library ebook passed by the New York State Legislature on the grounds it violated federal copyright laws granting authors exclusive rights to determine access to their works. The Authors Guild opposed the bill and advocated for its defeat.
Authors Win $7.8 Million Default Judgment in Global Piracy LawsuitPublishers WeeklyIn a joint lawsuit filed by 12 Authors Guild members, Amazon Publishing and Penguin Random House against Ukraine-based Kiss Library, the Western District of Washington found for the plaintiffs, permanently shutting down the piracy ring and awarding the maximum financial penalty based on 52 counts of copyright infringement.
Small Claims Board, Unicolors Decision Lead 2022 Copyright IssuesBloomberg LawThis short article highlights anticipated critical copyright matters upcoming in 2022. The creation and rollout of the Copyright Small Claims Board is the result of the CASE Act, for which the Authors Guild long advocated.
31 Writing Podcasts You’ve Got to Hear (in 2022)Smart BloggerThis is a list of podcasts aimed for writers broken down in six categories (Making a Living; Advice & Support for Freelance Writers; Improving Your Writing Skills; Finding Inspiration & Support in a Writing Community; Self-Publishing & Marketing; The Craft, Business and Process of a Writing Life).The Publishing Industry is Still Waiting for the New NormalPublishers WeeklyThe article reflects on 2021 and what factors and situations shaped the publishing industry.Readers Recommend 2021’s Best Books and Explain How their Reading Habits ChangedThe Washington PostThe critics have already spoken about the best books of 2021. This article shares the perspectives of readers themselves and what drove their reading. Books by AG members Lauren Groff (Matrix) and Elizabeth Strout (Oh William!) are among readers’ top selections.
Winnie-the-Pooh, an Ernest Hemingway Classic and a Massive Library of Sound Recordings Enter the Public Domain on January 1, 2022SmithsonianNotable titles by Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie, Willa Cather and William Faulkner enter the public domain in 2022, not to mention A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. To view a list of all literary works entering the public domain, click here.
