Publishers going to court

The three-week trial over Penguin Random House's $2.2bn merger with Simon & Schuster has caused widespread debate in the UK trade over the role of advances and the Department of Justice's "absurd" focus on high-earning authors.  Read more

The Department of Justice has claimed Penguin Random House's $2.2bn merger with Simon & Schuster will create a duopoly and damage competition in the US, as both sides made their closing arguments in court.

Penguin Random House's attorneys responded today to the Department of Justice's efforts to block its acquisition of Simon & Schuster, attacking the government's main complaint, that the purchase would "likely result in substantial harm to authors of anticipated top-selling books and ultimately, consumers."

A writer scored a significant victory over publishers this week, when comic book giants Marvel and DC - who had tried to block Graham Jules from using "superhero" in the title of his self-help manual Business Zero to Superhero - backed down after more than two years, just before a hearing in London.  Read more