- AAP spokesman talks about benefits of Book Rights Registry
- Royalty accounting suit against Pearson resolved
- Is Cram101 ripping you off?
- Pearson among publishers to participate in CA's free Digital Textbook Initiative
- Staying upright in a sea of economic uncertainty
- Six publishing houses called out on copyright violations
- CCC launches new Educational Services page
- CCC interviews Book Rights Registry ED
- Six Texty, McGuffey winners attend Awards Ceremony
- TAA Ethics Guidelines revised
- Authors can now self-promote for Texty, McGuffey Awards
- TAA earmarks $4,000 for TAA Publication Grants in 2009-2010
- TAA Council approves $50,000 grant to TAAF
- TAA thanks Contributing Member
- Derrington awarded a $265 TAA Publication Grant
- Busy TAA People: Mary Kay Switzer
- TAA thanks Sustaining Member
AAP spokesman talks about benefits of Book Rights Registry
On July 15, The Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) interviewed Allan Adler, vice president for Legal and Governmental Affairs in the Washington, DC office of the Association of American Publishers (AAP), about the benefits the Google Settlement and the creation of the Book Rights Registry could potentially provide to authors and publishers. Listen to a podcast of the discussion on the CCC Copyright Education page: Click here
Google Search settlement agreement opt-out deadline Sept. 4
The deadline for opting out or objecting to the Google Book Search Settlement Agreement is September 4, 2009. Authors of both in-print and out-of print books can opt-out from the entire settlement, and retain their rights to sue Google for infringement. Authors of in-print books will have their books included only if they opt-in, and authors of out-of print books will have their books excluded only if they opt-out. They can also ask Google to remove any previously scanned books.
Royalty accounting suit against Pearson resolved
The suit against Pearson Education, Inc. by business authors Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill, alleging the publisher manipulated royalty accounting to minimize the royalties it pays them, has been resolved.
One of the authors' attorneys on the case, Jason Levin, of Storch, Amini & Munves, issued this statement regarding the resolution of the case:
"The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties, with the parties agreeing that neither was at fault for any misunderstandings as to the contractual relationship at issue, and the parties continue to work together amicably."
Download PDF of the court record of the resolution of the case: Click here
See related article:
Textbook authors allege Pearson Education manipulates royalty accounting
Download PDF of the complaint against Pearson Education by Courtland Bovee and John Thill
(found at the above link)
Is Cram101 ripping you off?
Cram101 (cram101.com) is selling outlines and highlights of thousands of college textbooks without paying royalties on those sales to authors, and in some cases, without copyright notices or with incorrect copyright notices. Some TAA members have found that outlines based on their textbooks on Cram101 have contained inaccuracies, outdated information, and content that doesn't even appear in the actual textbooks. Find out if outlines of your textbook are being sold on Cram101 (cram101.com).
- Join the discussion about Cram101: Textbook Authoring Listserv
- View the archives of this discussion
Pearson among publishers to participate in CA's free Digital Textbook Initiative
The following free high school math and science digital textbooks were submitted for California content standard review. Contacts for each organization are available upon request: |
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that Pearson Education, one of the nation’s largest textbook publishers, is among the nine content developers to submit 20 free high school math and science digital textbooks by the June 15 deadline of the first phase of the Governor’s Digital Textbook Initiative.
The Initiative aims to review existent free digital textbooks to determine what materials stand-up to California’s rigorous academic standards so that California schools may utilize this free material in the classroom. Under the first phase of the initiative, free digital textbooks for high school math and science are being reviewed by fall 2009.
“I’m thrilled that content developers - from leading publishers to progressive foundations - are joining us in making education more technologically advanced, cost-effective and engaging for California’s students,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “During these difficult economic times, it’s critical that we work together to find creative ways to stretch each and every dollar, while also providing students with the tools they need to succeed in the global economy.”
To this, Secretary of Education Glen Thomas added, “I applaud all the content developers who submitted material for the good work they’re doing to make high-quality, cost-effective resources available to California’s students, schools and teachers. Their leadership will help us continue to expand learning and keep our students competitive in the growing digital economy.”
Last month, Governor Schwarzenegger launched a first-in-the-nation initiative to offer school districts access to free digital textbooks. At the Governor’s request, Secretary Thomas is working with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell and State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell to develop a list of standards-aligned digital textbooks for high school math and science courses by fall 2009 - with additional content to follow. The submitted textbooks will now be reviewed by CLRN against California’s rigorous academic content standards. Results of the review will be released in August, in time for the start of the school year
Previous TAA article:
CA governor launches first-in-nation initiative to develop free digital textbooks for high school students (May 2009)
Staying upright in a sea of economic uncertainty
Southern Oregon based publisher, CNS Productions, Inc. is small potatoes in comparison to the big east coast textbook publishers but they are quickly becoming the Big Kahuna when it comes to drug and addiction education publishing.
This small boutique publishing company has successfully weathered twenty years of boom and bust economic environments and in a year when to some breaking even was cause for celebration, CNS increased their sales revenues by a handsome margin. They didn’t do it by increasing their prices; they did it the old fashioned way – “sticking to their knitting” and providing exceptional customer service.
Their college level text Uppers, Downers, All Arounders, by nationally recognized treatment professionals, Dr. Darryl Inaba and William Cohen, is the engine that drives the company’s profits. The textbook can be found in over 500 college and university classrooms as well as in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s training academy in Quantico, Virginia. An extensive library of drug education DVD’s used in addiction treatment centers and clinics nationwide rounds out their product offerings.
Company president, William Cohen believes one of the reasons for the company’s growth is management’s focus on customer service: “Because we are a small company, we don’t have an army of sales people out there knocking on university doors so we have to connect with our customers in different ways. We’ve chosen to build our business by investing in excellent customer service and by developing materials that really reflect the needs of our clients."
Those needs translate into an arsenal of teaching support materials that include access to video support on their content rich website, multi-media classroom materials, and an always-open connection to the textbook authors.
“Our book has been around for 20 years, and over the years we recognized the importance of offering students and teachers more than just words on a page” says Dr. Inaba, a college professor himself. One of the original founders of San Francisco’s Haight –Ashbury clinic, Dr. Inaba has been instrumental in crafting the support material that elevates Uppers, Downers, All Arounders to something more than just a text book. “I get calls from professors who have used our book for years – sometimes only to point out a typo, but more often to clarify a point, or to pose a question. We take any type of feedback as an indication of a degree of connection between those who use our book and our company."
Small, nimble and customer centered, that is CNS Publication's strategy for success in the Addiction Education Videos and Textbooks field in these uncertain times.
Six publishing houses called out on copyright violations
 The conference displayed thousands of illegal book copies besides original books for visitors to make comparisons. |
Six publishers – Oxford, Cambridge, Pearson Education, Cengage Learning, McGraw Hill and Macmillan – through local book distribution company Fahasa organized a press conference on July 9 to announce the titles of 393 of their books that are being illegally printed in Vietnam.
The conference displayed thousands of illegal book copies beside original books for visitors to make comparisons. Most of the books (343 book titles) were published by the Quynh Mai Publishing House in cooperation with the Dong Nai Publishing House. The remaining titles were published by the Culture and Information, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Thanh Nien, Lao Dong, Tre and HCM City General publishing houses.
Most of the violated copyright books are foreign language teaching books. Violators printed copies of lower quality than original versions to sell at low prices.
These book titles were mainly published under the licence granted by a Vietnamese publishing house, which was critcized by foreign publishers as a violation of international conventions on copyright protection which Vietnam had joined. They said that this publisher licensed others to publish these books without negotiating with the copyright holder representatives.
Oxford Publishing House’s representative Vo Dai Phuc said that according to statistics of the International Intellectual Property Alliance – IIPA in 2008, copyrights of 90 percent of English teaching books in Vietnam are breached.
(Source: TT / VninfoGate)
CCC launches new Educational Services page
The proposed class action settlement between Google, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers remains in the forefront of today's news. To help keep you fully informed and up-to-date with the latest developments. Copyright Clearance Center is offering a series of interviews, seminars and presentations featuring leading experts who are well versed on the settlement and its various components. Visit it: Click Here
CCC interviews Book Rights Registry ED
The Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) interviewed Michael Healy, expected to be named executive director of the Book Rights Registry (BRR), the organization that will manage copyrighted works available via Google's Book Search program.
Healy, currently executive director of the non-profit Book Industry Study Group (BISG), told the CCC's Christopher Kenneally, that "the involvement of Google in [the publishing] marketplace, and others, is going to be part of the transformational character of [the industry over] the next few years.”
Healy pointed with enthusiasm to terms of the settlement that will result in “turning every public library in this country into a world-class research facility. You have to see the revolutionary character of that,” said the professionally-trained librarian.
Healy also cited the benefits of participating in the settlement for US authors and publishers. “The Book Rights Registry introduces into the environment an unprecedented degree of control to authors, publishers and other rightsholders on how their copyrights are exploited and distributed in this new digital world,” he explained.
The program with Michael Healy is the second in a series of presentations from Copyright Clearance Center about the Authors Guild, AAP, Google Settlement. Recordings of this and all other sessions can be found in the “Education” section of the CCC Web site at www.copyright.com/education
Six Texty, McGuffey winners attend Awards Ceremony
Six winners of 2009 TAA Textbook Excellence Awards and McGuffey Longevity Awards were present at the 2009 TAA Conference Awards Ceremony Luncheon to accept their awards, a leather bookmark bearing the Texty or McGuffey Award logo and the recipients' name and year.
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TAA Ethics Guidelines revised
At its June 25, 2009 meeting, the TAA Council approved revisions to the TAA Ethics Guidelines that better reflect the academic, non-textbook side of the organization.
The revisions were recommended by an Ad Hoc Committee consisting of TAA Council members John Wakefield, Committee Chair; Danielle Joy Davis, Fred Kleiner, John Wakefield, and Barbara Waxer; and TAA Executive Director Richard Hull.
The revisions include changes to reflect the diversity of readers in content, illustrations and exercises (Public/Readers, item 4); to present in textbooks the moral issues of a field (Public/Readers, item 5); to permit authors to remove their names from publications (Academic Community, item 8); to prevent authors from reselling or recommending resale of textbook examination copies (Academic Community, item 9); to avoid potential author conflicts of interest in competitions (Publisher, item 16).
View the revised TAA Ethics Guidelines: Click here
Authors can now self-promote for Texty, McGuffey Awards
Starting with the 2010 TAA Textbook Excellence Award and McGuffey Longevity Award nomination process, authors can choose to self-nominate their books. The nomination process begins in August. For more information on TAA's Texty and McGuffey Awards: Click here
TAA earmarks $4,000 for TAA Publication Grants in 2009-2010
TAA has up to $4,000 available for making TAA Publication Grants in 2009-2010. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The grant period runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Grant applications for the first half of 2009-2010 are due by December 1, 2009. Learn more about applying for a TAA Publication Grant in the TAA Member Center: Click here
TAA Council approves $50,000 grant to TAAF
In response to landing a $5,000 grant from the Florida Governor's Summer Program, the TAA Council approved a $50,000 grant to support the TAA Foundation in its applications for grants in 2009-2010. Learn more about TAAF's Governor's Summer Program at http://www.TAAFonline.net.
TAA thanks Contributing Member
TAA thanks Contributing Member Donald C. Ahrens.
Derrington awarded a $265 TAA Publication Grant
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Mary Lynne Derrington, an assistant professor at Western Washington University, has been awarded a $265 TAA Publication Grant to cover the cost of obtaining assistance in preparing her manuscript for publication.
Her article, "Self-Imposed Barriers: What does it take for female leaders to move beyond the limits they set themselves to reach the superintendency?," will be published in The Administrator, an American Association of School Administrators publication, in September 2009.
"I am grateful to receive this grant support," she said. "I am very happy that I joined TAA and plan to remain a member throughout my career. I am on the tenure track at my university. As such, I, like many other members, have a scholarship requirement that includes research and publication. This grant assisted me in preparing the final publication and ensuring that it would be published. When I sent it to the editor of the journal, he said it was excellent and needed few edits."
Derrington (Ed.D) has eighteen years experience as a school superintendent and seven as a principal. She is the author of over a dozen articles published in a wide variety of education journals. She is the editor of the Washington State Kappan, a journal for research, leadership and practice. She has co-chaired several state conferences including the Phi Delta Kappa research conference “ Preparing Students for Citizenship in a Global World.” Her numerous presentations and workshops topics include women in leadership, developing teams, team leadership strategies, and using case studies for leadership development.
Derrington's article describes her research findings: that females remain underrepresented in the position of school superintendent with only modest growth noted in recent years. "One finding for lack of female superintendents is that the barriers faced are insurmountable," she said. "While barriers are well-documented, it is important to learn whether or not female perception of barriers experienced has changed over time. In 1993 female subscribers to a professional job listing service were surveyed regarding the barriers that kept them from securing a superintendency. In April 2007 this fourteen-year-old study was replicated by the original researchers. While perceived barriers remain the same, findings indicate that the importance respondents placed on certain barriers has changed during the fourteen year interval." Derrington's article discusses one of the major barriers for females in researching the superintendency; barriers that are imposed, perhaps self-imposed, by family responsibilities such as children at home and household duties. The article also suggests ways that females can achieve both a successful career as a superintendent and a satisfying home life.
TAA members can apply for TAA Publication Grants of up to $750 to cover expenses incurred in publishing already accepted print academic journal and book and textbooks including academic journal page costs or university press subventions; the cost of preparing artwork or other charts, diagrams, or images to be included in accepted journal articles or academic books or textbooks; and journal reprint costs. Grants are also available for expenses incurred as a direct result of research leading to publication of a book or article, including:
- Interlibrary loan costs, or computer time costs incurred in the analysis of data, leading to publication of academic print materials.
- Costs of single photocopies of source materials for research related to the publication of an article or book.
- Costs of secretarial (copying and/or delivery) services incurred in the preparation of academic print materials.
- Cost of permissions incurred in the preparation of academic print materials for reprinting images, quoted material.
How to Apply:
Download a PDF form and mail to: TAA Executive Director Richard Hull, 3241 Heather Hill Lane, Tallahassee, FL 32309-2307.
TAA has up to $5,000 available for making TAA Publication Grants in 2009-2010. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The grant period runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Grant applications for the first half of 2009-2010 are due by December 1, 2009.
Busy TAA People: Mary Kay Switzer
Mary Kay Switzer's play, "Dragon Tails" is being performed July 14 and August 24 by the Inland Empire Cultural Alliance new group, the Alliance Readers' Theatre Ensemble.
TAA thanks Sustaining Member
TAA thanks Sustaining Member Jay L. Devore.
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