Litigation commences against AI art companies
In the UK (and possibly the US), Getty Images is suing Stable Diffusion for scraping millions of images from its site.
Litigation
The Department of Justice sues Google on antitrust grounds
The DOJ is attempting to break up Google’s advertising business, which dominates supply and demand in the ad tech market.
Authors Guild files suit against Authors’ Place Press
Authors’ Place Press, a small, US-based independent publisher, is accused of failing to pay royalties or send royalty statements.
FBI seizes one of the largest sites for pirated work
The site is known as Z-Library, and it was especially popular among TikTok users.
Simon & Schuster lets the Penguin Random House deal fall apart
PRH’s journey to acquire Simon & Schuster has come to an end.
IMHO: The DOJ vs PRH Decision Reflects Our Socio-Political Moment
A judge ruled that Penguin Random House cannot acquire Simon & Schuster, opening the door to similar government cases that can prove harm to workers rather than consumers.
Publishers Lunch releases an ebook, The Trial, about the DOJ vs PRH trial
The ebook presents comprehensive day-by-day coverage and insider analysis, plus full public testimony and much more.
IMHO: The Gatekeepers Have No Clothes
The unpredictable and subjective nature of publishing can look like incompetence to those outside the industry.
IMHO: The US Government Doesn’t Think Independent Publishing Matters
Publishing paths outside the Big Five are considered distinctly unattractive by the Department of Justice in its pre-trial brief.
The DOJ’s suit to block a Big Five publishing merger starts on August 1
In November 2021, the US Department of Justice moved to block, on antitrust grounds, the acquisition of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House.