SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwire - October 6, 2010) - Today, Attributor announced partnerships with Macmillan and Kensington Publishing Corp. to support the Attributor Protected Badge program. The global campaign represents a collaborative industry effort to drive consumer awareness about fair trade and distribution of e-books, and protection of author royalties.
"The global e-book community, which includes consumers, authors and publishers, is taking a major step to address the challenges book publishers face as they move to address the digital age of syndication," said Jim Pitkow, CEO of Attributor. "This initiative enables consumers to purchase e-books in line with their values and principles, and represents a major advancement in providing educational information about the fair trade and fair use of e-books."
The educational campaign, led by Attributor, Macmillan and Kensington Publishing Corp., enables consumers to protect the principles of the book publishing industry by purchasing copies of e-books specifically labeled with badges, signifying lawful purchase and use from an authorized retailer. The initiative advances the partnership between authors, publishers and consumers through the support of original content.
"Through the Attributor Protected Badge program, consumers have a terrific opportunity to contribute to the industry by learning about and supporting authorized e-books, rather than those illegally distributed by unauthorized providers," said Fritz Foy, senior vice president of strategic technology at Macmillan. "The Attributor Protected Badge initiative is a values-driven consumer campaign aimed at educating consumers about their role in shaping the industry, while playing a critical part in supporting the work of their favorite authors."
Through the Attributor Protected Badge program, publishers can also provide education about unauthorized downloading, and work with consumers to embrace the principles and ethics of fair e-book consumption. Beginning in November, Kensington Publishing Corp. will include the Attributor Protected Badge in more than two-dozen new e-books per month. E-books containing the Badge signify the authorized purchase of an original copy, including a link for consumers to learn more about fair trade distribution.
"The Badge campaign is a much needed remedy for the book publishing industry -- we can now raise consumer awareness and work together to support original content," said Steve Zacharius, CEO of Kensington Publishing Corp. "Adding Attributor Protected Badges to our e-books supports the value of our authors, the desire to work with consumers and our continual industry leadership for such an important issue."
Attributor's recent research about e-book piracy detailed the growing presence of piracy among book consumers. Results included:
- 50 percent increase in the online search for pirated downloads throughout the past year
- 1.5-3 million daily Google queries for pirated e-books
- 54 percent increase in pirated e-book demand since August 2009
- 20 percent increase in e-book demand since the iPad became widely available in mid May 2010
The complete study can be found here.
About Attributor
Attributor is a privately held technology company headquartered in San Mateo, Calif. Its content monitoring and enforcement platform enables publishers of all sizes to protect their content wherever it appears across the Internet. Attributor's customers include publishers Harper Collins, John Wiley & Sons, Scholastic, Harvard Business Publishing, Taylor and Francis, Quercus Publishing, the Associated Press, Agencia EFE, Agence France-Press, the Financial Times and the National Science Teachers Association. For more information, visit www.attributor.com.
About Macmillan
Macmillan is a global publisher of books, magazines, textbooks, scientific information, and digital content and services. In the U.S., the group includes Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Henry Holt; St. Martin's Press; Tor Books; Picador; Macmillan Audio; Bedford St. Martin's; W.H. Freeman; Worth Publishers; i-clicker; Hayden-McNeil; and Palgrave Macmillan. Macmillan is a subsidiary of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, GMbH, a global media company based in Stuttgart, Germany. http://www.macmillan.com.
About Kensington Publishing Corp.
Kensington Publishing Corp., based in New York City, is the largest independent U.S. publisher of hardcover, trade and mass-market paperback books. It publishes over 500 books annually in most fiction and non-fiction genres, including romance, mysteries, self-help and alternative health. The company also maintains a backlist of more than 3,000 titles. More information about Kensington can be found on its website at www.Kensingtonbooks.com.
Contact Information:
Contact
Steve Mnich
LaunchSquad
415.625.8555
attributor(at)launchsquad(dot)com