On September 13, in what will have a potentially serious impact on the academic publishing industry, specifically as it relates to online supplemental materials and study guides, Pearson Education filed a lawsuit against Chegg, Inc. for copyright infringement [Pearson sues former partner Chegg for copyright infringement (insidehighered.com)]. This suit [complaint.pdf (oandzlaw.com)] stems from the use of end of chapter and other materials from Pearson Education (one of the big three textbook publishers) textbooks as part of the Chegg Study website.
Ethics International Press seeking proposals
Ethics International Press is seeking proposals for English-language academic books and edited collections in several writing fields including philosophy, religion, law, business, environment, and politics.
Proposals should primarily be for scholarly books, including text/reference books, but they are also accepting adapted Doctoral theses and collections selected from conferences. View the book proposal form.
Pearson Education launches new mobile app, Pearson+
On July 30, Pearson Education announced the launch of a new college learning app, Pearson+, as a way for students to access the company’s 1,500 eBooks and study tools, such as flashcards, advanced note taking, and practice questions.
Pearson+, which will be available via desktop and mobile app, offers two monthly pay-as-you-go options:
Single Tier: $9.99 per month for one Pearson eText
Multi Tier: $14.99 per month for access to 1500+ Pearson eTexts
According to the company’s press release, “While 70% of Pearson’s higher education revenue already comes from digital products, Pearson+ will help recapture additional sales lost to the secondary textbook market and reset the economics of the company’s higher education business.”
SOTA celebrates 20 years of legacy, scholarship and sisterhood
TAA congratulates Sisters of the Academy Institute (SOTA) on its 20th Anniversary!
Founded in 2001, SOTA’s mission is to facilitate the success of Black women in the Academy. Specifically, the organization aims to create an educational network of Black women in higher education in order to foster success in the areas of teaching, scholarly inquiry, and service to the community; facilitate collaborative scholarship among Black women in higher education; and facilitate the development of relationships to enhance members’ professional development.
Accessible college textbooks: From problematical to profitable
Following is an excerpt of an article published by Robert Martinengo, Founder, Consumer Accessibility Information Label Association (CAILA). The article explains how publishers can serve the needs of college students with disabilities while making, not losing, money.
For years, publishers have been encouraged to produce books that are accessible to students with disabilities. Those advocating for accessible books include people with disabilities, naturally, and organizations that represent their interests. But the sector with pressing legal, practical, and economic interests in the accessibility of educational materials are colleges and universities
Authors’ suit against Cengage hits snags
In October 2019, six authors, intending to form a class action together with other Cengage authors, filed a lawsuit against Cengage alleging that Cengage’s royalty accounting for proceeds from distribution of their products through the MindTap and Cengage Unlimited business models breached the publisher’s royalty arrangements with authors. In addition to the breach of contract claim, the authors alleged that Cengage acted in bad faith towards authors regarding the two products. Before a trial could get underway, Cengage responded by asking for all counts to be dismissed, and that the attempt to form a class action be denied.