Greetings fellow denizens of the internet!  My name is Coty Sugg, and I’m currently a senior Writing and Publication major with a minor in Mass Communications here at North Georgia College and State University.  I’m 23 years old, and I hail from the tiny, yet lovely town of Hollywood, Georgia.  Ever since I was young, I’ve always had a passion for reading and writing, and that passion has continued to grow and develop over the years.  I hope to one day turn this beloved pastime into a future career as a writer and editor.

I love reading the works of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Flannery O’Connor, Graham Greene, and John Steinbeck.  The stories, characters, and settings that these authors create in their novels and short stories are some of the most captivating and interesting ever put to print and paper. My favorite books include The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, and The Namesake.

In addition to reading and writing, I’m also a huge nerd.  I’m an avid videogame player and collector with a library that currently spans more than 400 games, 17 consoles, and over 30 years of electronics history.  I also like to consider myself something of a film buff as well.  My favorite movies include, The Grapes of Wrath, Millennium Actress, and Alien.

Another pastime of mine is anime. I grew up watching my fair share of anime as a kid, and it’s a visual medium that I’ve continued to enjoy.  I’ve been the president of NGCSU’s anime club for the past few semesters, and I’ve enjoyed sharing some of my favorite shows with others as well as getting to experience some new ones along the way.  I also watch my fair share of television shows in my native tongue as well. When I’ve got an hour or so to kill I often find myself logging onto Netflix to catch an episode of Mad Men, The Walking Dead, or Doctor Who.

I joined the staff of the University Press at the start of this summer.  I’m hoping that during my time here, I can learn more about the publishing world at large, and maybe even get some of my own material out there for others to view and read.  In the few weeks I’ve been here, I’ve already learned my fair share about the publishing industry as well as some valuable graphic design skills that I also hope to put to further use during my time here with the Press.

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(Image Courtesy of Amazon)

As we move ever closer to a world where digital distribution becomes the standard for media and entertainment delivery, we’re bound to run into a few snafu’s along the way.  One such issue reared its unsightly head back in April when it was discovered that a number of major e-book publishers were holding meetings where they planned to fix market prices on their products.

Apple and five other major publishing groups had been in talks to set mainstream e-book prices at around $12.99 to $14.99. By using this pricing method, publishers would be able to pocket around 30% of each e-books cost while distributors like Amazon would receive a smaller commission for the sale of each e-book

The aforementioned process is referred to in the publishing business as agency pricing.  This model allows book publishers to set a price for their merchandise, while the agent, the group or organization that distributes the merchandise, receives a commission.  Under this business model, the publisher is the only party that can give discounts on e-books and the price of said e-book must remain the same across the market.

The idea was initially organized by late Apple CEO Steve Jobs.  The United States Department of Justice recently published an email from Jobs to one of the publishing houses which read, “Throw in with Apple and see if we can all make a go of this to create a real mainstream e-books market at $12.99 and $14.99.”

It’s not hard to see why this model was so appealing to publishers, considering that a price hike would earn them more money and the model also netted them the ability to limit supply to major distributors should they fail to comply to the publishers’ terms. While this practice certainly does very little to benefit distributers or consumers, it does raise an important question:

“Is it illegal?”

(Image Courtesy of US Department of Justice)

The Departments of Justice in both the United States and Europe certainly thought so, as both agencies filed lawsuits against Apple, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Penguin, MacMillan, and The Hatchette Group.

“This took place at the highest levels of these companies.  This action drove up e-book prices virtually overnight.  Let me be clear: When companies enter agreements that prevent price competition, that is illegal,” said Sharis Pozen, head of the Department of Justice’s antitrust division.

The DOJ in both countries have strict antitrust laws that prevent top market competitors from making joint pricing decisions, a process referred to as colluding, in order to increase prices in goods and services. The European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice both began antitrust investigations back in December of 2011 and on April 18of this year; Apple and the other publishers had suits filed against them.

The Department of Justice hopes that the law suits will result in a market reset, effectively terminating the fixed price model, and force Apple and the other publishers to cooperate with Amazon on lower, more consumer friendly e-book prices.

Three of the publishers, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, and The Hatchette Group have agreed to settle.  It would appear that Apple and the two remaining publishing houses, Penguin and MacMillan, show no signs of backing down.

During the initial hearing, Apple lawyer Daniel Floyd stated, “Our basic view is that we would like the case to be decided on the merits. We believe that this is not an appropriate case against us and we would like to validate that.” The next court hearing for USA v Apple Inc et al is set for June 22.

The University Press of North Georgia is a extension of North Georgia College and State University. As such, our office hours are subject to summer campus hours. Our offices, located on the third floor of the Chestatee Building, have the following hours until August 2012.

Monday-Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm, Closed Fridays

Offices will also be closed on Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day, and on Wednesday, July 4th for Independence Day.

Happy Summer, everyone!