Random House wins rights to publish disputed e-books
updated 09:20 pm EDT, Tue August 24, 2010
Publisher resolves conflict with Wylie Agency
Random House has resolved a dispute with literary agent Andrew Wylie over rights to publish e-book versions of 13 classic books. According to a New York Times report, both parties have agreed that Random House will retain the rights for digital distribution.
The Wylie Agency recently created its own entity, Odyssey Editions, to publish the disputed titles through digital portals. Wylie had convinced many of his clients to transfer the rights to their works to Odyssey, which were sold through an exclusive deal with Amazon.com.
Random House, as the publisher of the print editions for the Odyssey titles, voiced frustration over the move. The company engaged in a standoff and stopped accepting new books from the Wylie Agency and its clients.
After Wylie met with Random House CEO Markus Dohle on several occasions, both finally agreed on the new terms and returned to business as usual. Random House will now distribute the 13 titles, including "Lolita" by Vladmir Nabokov and "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, as e-books available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other digital retailers.
“We both are glad to be able to put this matter behind us,” said a joint statement signed by Dohle and Wylie.
