This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is the national trade association of the American book publishing industry. AAP lobbies for book, journal and education publishers in the United States. AAP members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies.

Former U.S. congresswoman Patricia Schroeder served as the association's CEO from 1997 until 2009, taking over the role from Nicholas A. Veliotes. On May 1, 2009, former U.S. congressman Tom Allen took over as president and CEO. In January 2017, former U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante became President and CEO of the organization.[1]

Activities

AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software and electronic products and services.

The association's core programs deal with advocacy and supporting laws and regulations that "incentivize the publication of creative expression, professional content, and learning solutions", according to the Chair at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Other current and previous focus are: intellectual property; new technology and digital issues of concern to publishers; the freedom to read, censorship and libel; the freedom to publish; funding for education and libraries; postal rates and regulations; tax and trade policy; and international copyright enforcement.

The association tracks publisher revenue on a monthly and annual basis with its StatShot Monthly and StatShot Annual programs. AAP also produces the comprehensive statistical surveys for the education sectors (prek-12 and higher education).[2]

AAP also honors the very best in professional and scholarly publishing with PROSE Awards, which draws attention to distinguished books, journals, and electronic content. The awards have been judged by peer publishers, librarians, and medical professionals since 1976.[3]

In late 2019, AAP sued Audible for their Captions feature, in which machine-generated text would be displayed alongside the audio narration.[4][5] The lawsuit was settled in early 2020, with Audible agreeing not to implement the Captions feature without obtaining express permission.[6]

Controversy

AAP was criticized after it contracted Eric Dezenhall's crisis management firm to promote its position regarding the open access movement.[7][8] Schroeder told The Washington Post “the association hired Dezenhall when members realized they needed help. ‘We thought we were angels for a long time and we didn't need PR firms.’”[9]

AAP has released press statements to support four of its members in the case of Hachette v. Internet Archive (IA). President Maria A. Pallante said of the case, "As the complaint outlines, by illegally copying and distributing online a stunning number of literary works each day, IA displays an abandon shared only by the world’s most egregious pirate sites."[10] This action has been opposed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation,[11] Public Knowledge,[12] and the Association of Research Libraries.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Association of American Publishers (AAP) Names Maria A. Pallante as President and CEO". January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  2. ^ "Industry Statistics: Overview". Association of American Publishers. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "Home - PROSE Awards". PROSE Awards. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "American Publishers Sue To Stop 'Audible Captions'". Publishing Perspectives. August 24, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  5. ^ Lee, Timothy B. (August 24, 2019). "Book publishers sue Audible to stop new speech-to-text feature". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Copyright: US Publishers Succeed in 'Audible Captions' Case". Publishing Perspectives. February 7, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Giles, Jim (January 25, 2007). "PR's 'pit bull' takes on open access. Journal publishers lock horns with free-information movement". Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 445 (7126): 347. doi:10.1038/445347a. PMID 17251943. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  8. ^ David Biello (January 26, 2007). "Open Access to Science Under Attack". Scientific American. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
  9. ^ Rick Weiss, Publishing Group Hires 'Pit Bull of PR' , The Washington Post. January 25, 2007
  10. ^ "Publishers File Suit Against Internet Archive for Systematic Mass Scanning and Distribution of Literary Works". Association of American Publishers. June 1, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  11. ^ "Hachette v. Internet Archive". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  12. ^ Stella, Shiva (June 1, 2020). "Public Knowledge Responds to Lawsuit Against Internet Archive: Policymakers, Publishers, and Libraries Should Make Print Books More Accessible During the Pandemic". Public Knowledge. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  13. ^ @ARLnews (June 4, 2020). "ARL is disappointed, especially this week, at this time, to see "preeminent publishing houses" go after controlled digital lending (CDL) so broadly in their complaint against the @InternetArchive. https://bit.ly/302LIp4 1/3" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

External links

Books
Authority control databases
Categories