DADs Like Music

On the heels of last weeks post on Digital Assets Distributors in the book world, the NYT has an article this morning about a music world application,

TuneCore is a digital distributor that gets music into online stores, just as traditional distributors stock shelves at regular retailers. But Mr. Price (who also co-owns an independent label) does not take a percentage of sales, as most distributors do, nor does he provide the same marketing and promotional services as those companies. Rather, he charges a flat fee: 99 cents a song as an uploading and processing fee, 99 cents for each store where the act wants to place the album, and $19.98 an album each year for storage.

On The Hudson

It is not everyday that you see an outrigger canoe race in New York City. No idea who won but it is worth noting that I think these were crewed by girls.

I started humming the theme song from Hawaii 5-o and Mrs PND wondered what the hell I was doing.

Houghton in The Caymans

It used to be that opening a bank account in the Caymans was a rite of passage for the exceedingly wealthy but now even struggling multi-national publishing companies like Riverdeep are establishing accounts there to manage their treasury function. Oh, and to avoid 'onerous reporting' requirements in their home countries. According to the Irish Independent, Riverdeep is establishing a corporate presence in the Cayman Islands:

HMR, formed from Riverdeep's reverse takeover of Houghton Mifflin last year to create a $5bn (€3.7bn) group, is asking shareholders to approve the setting up of a holding company called Education Media and Publishing Group at an extraordinary general meeting to be held on July 9.

With more and more companies looking to establish a corporate structure in foreign lands - Bermuda (Stanley) and Dubai (Haliburton) and more companies considering going private because of current financial reporting requirements (SOX), Riverdeep is just another example of the trend.

The Independent has seen documentation regarding the scheme that will enable HMR to achieve more flexibility in dividend payments and also greater confidentiallity regarding corporate accounting.

"Irish law largely restricts companies to make such distributions out of realised profit less realised losses. The definition of profit available in the Cayman Islands is much broader and so allows for greater flexibility in making distributions out of share capital subject to limited restrictions," comments Barry O' Callaghan the group's executive chairman.

Net income seems to be more concept than precept down in the Caymans. According to the article, the company needs 75% of shareholder and High court approval. Currently they have exceeded the shareholder level (with O'Callaghan owning 48%) so it will be up to the High Court to approve. Doesn't seem in much doubt.

Apple ebook reader for iPod - What a Cool Idea

I found this link to a 'design proposal' that would combine an IPOD with a tablet like e-book reader. It is a pretty cool concept. Apple has been rumoured to be considering an ebook reader but nothing has materialized.

Publishers Fight Back - 2

I don't seem to hear too much about the Automated Content Access Protocol (ACAP), which is being developed by a group of content producers under the aegis of the World Association of Newspapers but they released a press release about the progress of the initiative. To refresh, the ACAP is new standard to allow on-line content providers to automatically communicate information to search engine operators and others on how their content can be used. From the press release:

• ACAP is building on existing technology including Robots Exclusion Protocol and is using established methods for defining standard permissions semantics.
• Collaboration and support for the project has been overwhelming: the list of 28 organisations continues to grow and represents a worldwide interest in the project (partners are listed below).
• Work is now underway to prepare ACAP for the post-pilot stage -- to hand over a long-term sustainable model to a pre-existing governance organisation or to set up its own ACAP governance organisation.

Effectively, the group is establishing a standard way to lock (or make available) the content on content providers web sites. This tool will allow publishers to select the content that they want crawled and thereby better control the access to their content. The tool is being developed so that when in place, a webcrawler will be able to read the permissions information and act accordingly. No human intervention required other than for the publisher to set the initial parameters.

“What we seek to do together is create the foundations for what is surely the highest aspiration that publishers, aggregators, search engines and politicians could have for the content industry - namely an increasingly healthy, profitable and vibrant sector which drives knowledge and diverse thinking throughout the internet and the world and which creates new opportunities for everyone," said Gavin O’Reilly, President of the World Association of Newspapers.

One hopes it is all not a bit late....

Prior Post

Pearson Education Announce Student Advisory Board

Speaking to your customers is always a good idea and Pearson have determined consulting with a divergent group of college students will give them some insight into electronic texts, e-learning and other new educational methodology. I suspect they will also be able to discuss issues around pricing and pricing methodology that have caused the educational market such angst over the past few years. From the press release:

"We believe an advisory board of college students will be an important catalyst in providing Pearson with a fresh, informed perspective about our educational content, technology, services and future learning models," said Will Ethridge, President and CEO, Pearson Higher Education, International and Professional Publishing.

The board consists of 12 students from across the country and each sits for one year. The group held its first meeting in Boston last week and furthermore, each student will work on particular initiatives and will be paired with a Pearson executive as a mentor.

Sandi Kirshner, chief marketing officer, Pearson Higher Education, International and Professional Publishing. "We have high expectations for the student board members and we are anxious to gain insights from their college experience."

The God Subject

The Guardian Newspaper in the UK has a short article on the success of books questioning the existance of (any) God. The article is specific to Christopher Hitchens book God is Not Great but also mentioned the sucecss of The God Delusion. I contributed to both authors royalty payment and finished The God Delusion but I haven't started the Hitchens book. I am currently reading Buddha or Bust and someone I had dinner with last night jokingly suggested I was in the midst of some mid-life crisis. Meaning aside, I will have beaten this theme to death by the time I have finished all three.