Can literary fiction survive the ebook age?

by Alison Flood - THE GUARDIAN

Some claim that literary fiction has 'lost the next generation' of readers – but brilliant writing remains as important as ever

A little light reading? ... reading an ebook at the beach. Photograph: Alamy

The death knell has been sounded for literary fiction often enough that it's great to see someone cheering it on. But when Francesca Main added the words "Go print" to a tweet celebrating the strong performance of literary paperbacks, it was enough to launch a fierce debate about what literary fiction is really for.

For the ever-provocative Julian Gough, the fact that only 5% of literary fiction sales were electronic was evidence that "literary fiction has lost the next generation". "What is it that literary fiction does, that isn't done as well or better by other genres and newer artforms?" he asked.

Answers were many and varied. But as one of that literary ebook-buying 5%, I think Max Cairnduff hits the mark the closest with his one-word answer: "prose". Literary fiction can be about anything, so long as it's beautifully, intriguingly, surprisingly, gorgeously written, so long as it's brilliantly constructed – from the word, to the sentence, the paragraph, the chapter, the novel and beyond.

What is unique about literary fiction? Basically, it has to be good: it doesn't matter what it's about or how it's told. And that goes for every topic under the sun. Obviously. I'll cite Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter as a case in point (partly because it's on my desk). It won the Gold Dagger award, so ostensibly it falls under crime fiction, but the quality of Franklin's writing would see off many a lit-fic wannabe. The arbitrary ghettos created for genre are ripe for razing, but let's not forget that the excellence of literary fiction is still worth celebrating.

The iPad-mini will look like this

The iPad-mini will look like this

If Apple is indeed planning a smaller iPad, you can bet they will be targeting 
Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s e-book dominance.

By Simon

Speculation that Apple might release a smaller version of their category-dominating iPad has been swirling for years. After all, nearly every one of Apple’s competitors have released sub-10″ models and while they haven’t achieved anywhere near the iPad’s success, they have been selling. The belief was that Apple would want to address the emerging threat from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both of whom released $200 7-inch tablets last year. New, lower pricing on the BlackBerry PlayBook was giving RIM’s embattled tablet some new life too.

But two factors argued against an iPad-mini: First, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that the Amazon/B&N products hadn’t dampened people’s enthusiasm for the iPad at all – a fact that was illustrated by the very strong opening sales numbers for the new 3rd generation iPad. Second, when Steve Jobs was reporting on the success of the original iPad, he claimed that the new crop of 7″ tablets would be “dead on arrival.”  He hated them: ““7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad.” Apple had spent a lot of R&D on coming up with the size and shape of both the iPad and the iPhone, and there was a growing sense that the company wasn’t going to abandon those formulas in favour of a me-too strategy.

Things, however, inevitably change.

Steve Jobs, the man who was known as much for his stubbornness as for his visionary role in the industry, is now silent and any influence he still wields at Apple is mostly cultural in nature. For the next few years, it’s a good bet that Apple will follow the course he laid out. But he can no longer shout-down ideas he doesn’t like and that means Apple is a different company when it comes to new product development.

While Tim Cook and his management team continue to adjust to an Apple sans-Steve, they must also grapple with another situation: despite Apple integrating iBooks into iOS and even developing an authoring platform for publishers to create rich and dynamic textbooks for the iPad, iBooks has so far failed to become Apple’s next iTunes.

This has got to be a sore point for the company. With very few exceptions, most notably their anaemic Ping social network built into iTunes, Apple’s product offerings tend to do very well with consumers. So why has iBooks foundered? A simple explanation would be that Amazon and B&N (and Kobo here in Canada) are too strong, too entrenched and too good at e-books. Apple has always succeeded by bringing something new to the game, or finding a simplification to a process or gadget that was overly complex (even when others didn’t realize how complex they were). But Amazon’s e-book experience is nearly perfect from the point of view of selection, simplicity and price.

That’s one explanation. The other possibility is that the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, for all their magic when it comes to creating mobile experiences that people love, are second-rate e-book reading devices. Even with its extraordinary Retina display, the new iPad is too big, too heavy and much like every other tablet, is backlit – which increases eye-strain for many users. If you were to take a poll amongst people who own both an iPad and an e-ink reader like the Kindle, and ask them which they prefer for reading books, I suspect the answer would be the Kindle – and overwhelmingly so. I’m one of those people and I only reach for my iPad or iPhone when my Kindle isn’t handy.

Which brings us back to why rumours of an iPad mini simply won’t die. When you take the e-books landscape into consideration and then throw in this week’s revelation that Apple has placed a large order for 7.85″ touch-screens, suddenly the speculation becomes plausible. When you further consider that the loudest voice at Apple in opposition to a small tablet is no longer calling the shots, an iPad mini starts to sound like certainty – with only the launch date remaining to be debated.

Obviously no one can confirm that an iPad mini is coming. Nonetheless, here are some observations on what such a product could feature:

• Roughly 7″ Retina display. The retina-level pixel density is key, especially if Apple hopes to make a bigger dent in e-reading.
• Front and rear cameras, but with specs to match the new iPad, not the iPhone 4S.
• 4G LTE as the cellular option.
• Between 6 and 14 oz (168 and 392 grams): the lower amount is the weight of Amazon’s Kindle, whereas the higher amount is the Kindle Fire. It’s probably unrealistic for an LCD-based tablet to ever come in at 6 oz, but Apple should definitely aim to beat the Fire which by all accounts is a twin to RIM’s PlayBook.
• Thin design – with a smaller screen, the battery can be shrunk as well. It may only lose a few millimetres but it will be the thinnest iPad yet.
• A5 processor from the iPad 2. Keeping an iPad mini as cheap to build as possible will critical for Apple if they’re going up against $200 tablets. The newer A5X chip from the new iPad would offer better graphics performance, but unless the Retina display on the mini requires it, it’s not a must-have.
• Starting price: The new iPad is $519, the iPad 2 is $419. So the logical price for an iPad mini is $319 (all prices in $US for simplicity). That’s still way more than a Kindle Fire, but it would be the cheapest iPad to-date. And though it would likely squeeze Apple’s margins to a new low, if the device succeeds in kicking Apple’s iBooks into high gear, they could easily justify the price.

You’ll notice that I’ve omitted any new technology from the specs list. That’s because I don’t think Apple has to offer anything new in order for an iPad mini to be a roaring success. The current feature set of new iPad isn’t the best in the tablet world (still no SD card slots or USB ports, no HDMI out, no replaceable batteries, no quad-core CPU). Doesn’t matter. Even without these features, the iPad outsells the tablets that have them by a ridiculous amount. An iPad mini doesn’t need them either.

An iPad mini really only needs to do one thing: Give everyone who was thinking of buying a Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook or PlayBook (or any other 7″ tablet) a reason to stop, take a deep breath, and then buy Apple’s product instead.

There’s only one possible down-side for Apple: cannibalization of iPad sales. A worst-case scenario for Apple would be if all (or many) prospective iPad buyers decided to buy minis instead. Going from a high-margin model to a lower-margin model would hurt the company a lot. But if Tim Cook was correct (that Kindle Fires an the other small/cheap tablets haven’t hurt iPad sales), and if an iPad mini successfully attracts people who would have otherwise bought those devices, Apple could expand their reach significantly rather than water it down. There was some speculation that when Apple launched the Mac Mini it would have a chilling effect on sales of iMacs. After all, why buy an expensive all-in-one when you could have the same computer running on the monitor and keyboard/mouse you already own? It never happened. Sales of both Mac Minis and iMacs grew after the Mac Mini launched.

So Sync reader, what do you think of a smaller, cheaper iPad? Is it just the tablet you’ve been waiting for, or simply another i-device that you’ll take a pass on?

Why libraries matter more than ever

By Molly Raphael, CNN

Editor’s Note: Molly Raphael is President of the American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information for all. This week, National Library Week, the ALA spotlights the valuable contributions of our nation’s libraries and library workers.

Anyone who has visited a library in the past few years will not be surprised to learn that demand for library services has increased significantly. With the growing need for access to digital and online information, including e-government services, continuing education resources and employment opportunities, libraries are essential in communities, large and small, throughout the country.

Last year, 1.5 billion library visitors checked out more than 2.4 billion items. Visit the “learning commons” of a college or university library, and you will find it full of students.  The same is true for K-12 school libraries as students recognize the importance of learning how to become “information literate” as part of their basic education.

Yet, many question why we need libraries when we have instant access to information on the Internet.

As the president of the American Library Association (ALA), I often receive questions on the relevance of libraries when information can be obtained so easily in digital form. I believe questioning the need for libraries and the professionals who staff them is like questioning the need for the air that we breathe.

We need air to survive, just as we need libraries not just to survive but to thrive in an era filled with economic uncertainty, technological illiteracy and information overload.  Technology continues to shape commerce, education and social interactions, in our global world.  Libraries, which provide equitable access for all, play a key role in leveling the playing field in our communities.  Look at the life stories of our most admired leaders in every field of endeavor who came from very humble beginnings, and you will almost always find libraries were key to their access to the Great American Dream.

The traditional notion of libraries continues to thrive in the age of Google and Facebook, but libraries are also transforming lives by providing patrons with the tools needed to compete and thrive in a 21st century marketplace.

The public still has no-fee access to all types of information, with traditional services enhanced by technology.

That’s enhanced - not replaced.  Libraries have always embraced new forms and formats such as videos, DVD’s, audio formats, and now downloadable resources.  More than 65% of libraries report that they are the only source of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities.  Thousands rely on free services including basic training in how to use computers and software products as well as access to employment databases and digital media.  More than 87% of public libraries provide free formal and informal technology training to library patrons, often partnering with local nonprofits.

To make good decisions, we depend on good information. The Internet can never replace the expertise of library staff. Anyone who has received an overwhelming number of hits searching the Web understands what it means to have a highly trained information navigator. Why wade through hundreds, if not thousands, of possible resources when a librarian can connect you quickly with the most valuable information to meet your needs?

Right now, libraries are part of the solution when a community is struggling economically.  Libraries continue to design and offer programs customized for their local communities’ needs, providing residents with guidance, including sessions with career advisers, workshops in resume writing and interviewing, job-search resources and connections with outside agencies that offer training and job placement. Each day an estimated 300,000 people receive job-seeking help at public libraries.  More than 74% of libraries offer software and other resources to help patrons create resumes and employment materials, and 72% of libraries report that staff helped patrons complete online job applications.

Patrons turn to libraries for access to ebooks and even eReaders.  eBooks are available at more than 67% of libraries, up 12% from just two years ago. Libraries don’t just offer access to digital content but also offer demonstrations on how to download library eBooks or eFlicks to personal devices. And more than 27% of public libraries offer eReaders for check out.

Most importantly, libraries are located in nearly every community across the country.

I cannot imagine a world without libraries, when so many of us rely on them to make sense of the technology-driven world in which we live.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Molly Raphael.

Review Kobo Touch

KOBO TOUCH REVIEW

from Gadget Review

I like eReaders. I like the idea of them far more then the practice of using one, the idea that you can carry about hundreds or thousands of books in a little device that’s easy to hold, take anywhere, etc. It doesn’t have the zest nor the finality of a physical book, but ultimately it’s the content of the book that 

impresses itself upon us, not 

the touch. The difference between the two is, in many ways, moot.

But various eReaders are problematic in their own right. As electronics go, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, though readers can take solace that there are devices that are helping to shape the entire category of electronics for the better. The Kobo Touch is one such gadget, a very neat and clever eReader which is compact, convenient, and most of all fun.

What’s fun about a battery powered book? It smiles when in sleep mode, for starters. The  fonts and menus are simple and intuitive, and most importantly easy to maneuver and adjust. There’s a certain courteousness about the Kobo Touch that goes beyond simply reading; it’s the overall feeling that yes, reading is entertainment. And even if you are attracted to dire tales like The Idiot rather than whimsical stories of magic or vampires, everything from the simple welcome screen to the store clearly expresses not the calculating coldness of logical formatting made for machines, but an elegant, human appearance.

This is something that Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the leaders of the eBooks field, can take a lesson from.

Of course, knowing what we know about the two companies, why bother with Kobo? From a device standpoint, the Touch is a very easy handheld to use. It is reminiscent of an iPhone or iPod, with a single button and a full touchscreen. The touch panel reads presses well and is highly accurate, though occasionally misses page turns. It also lacks some of the swipe functions found on competing devices, instead opting for simpler tap controls. Navigation in books and menus is quick, though not notieably faster than the competition.

What I like most about the physical design is the textured rear, a colored surface (up to four colors to choose from) that has large studs that make it easier to grip. Most of today’s eReaders are too difficult to hold comfortably for long periods, but not so with the Kobo Touch. Users will tire of holding a physical book far before this.

The Kobo Touch only works over Wi-Fi, so it does not sync over the air like the Kindle or Nook. Because the software service Kobo offers – Kobo Books – does offer apps for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry, it is a shame that there is no 3G option. Though if you find yourself reading on the phone often, in areas without Wi-Fi, I’d contend that the Kobo Touch isn’t for you.

Unlike Sony’s Reader, the Kobo Touch uses proprietary software that is painless and to the point. It has all of the simple functions required for reading, like adding highlights and performing searches. Books can also be purchased directly through the Kobo Touch, and there are some social media functions through the Kobo Pulse service, though for the Touch it’s very limited.

Overall the Kobo Touch is a fantastic eReader, one I highly recommend for anyone who doesn’t need a 3G connection anywhere and just wants the simplest, easiest way to read books.

Editor’s Rating:

Bottom Line: A marvelous Wi-Fi only eReader that keeps you reading comfortably.

Pros:

• Excellent design for holding and gripping
• Simple menu system with a fun demeanor

Cons:

• No 3G option for anywhere updates
• The Kobo stores isn’t as big as competitors, and doesn’t have the same selection


• 
  

Glow-in-the-Dark Ebook Reader of Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble Bows Glow-in-the-Dark Ebook Reader

New GlowLight technology makes Barnes and Noble Nook ebook reader easy to read in the dark

BY: STEWART WOLPIN

SOURCE: BARNES & NOBLE

Barnes & Noble's new Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, a glow-in-the-dark ebook reader. (Read-an-ebook.com)

If you want to read an ebook in the dark - say, in bed while your sleeping spouse snores peacefully beside you - you had to e-read on a tablet. Except in the dark, tablets like the iPad or Amazon Kindle Fire blindingly shine like a lighthouse and awaken even those in deepest REM.

Barnes and Noble has solved this e-read-in-the-dark problem with the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, an ebook reader with an adjustable backlight bright enough to allow you to read in the dark but soft enough to not blind you and anyone within a few feet after five minutes of e-reading.

Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is in all other ways a touchscreen E Ink (monochrome) ereader. Barnes and Noble says this GlowLight Nook weighs less than 7 ounces, 5 percent lighter than the current Nook Simple Touch and which makes it lighter than the 7.5 ounce Kindle Touch

GlowLight turns on instantly (says BN), delivers uniform light across the E Ink display (says BN) and adjusts easily with a touch (says B&N). Like the non-lit Nook, the GlowLight Nook also has the bezel turn page controls which, IMHO, makes the Nook superior to the E Ink touchscreen Kindle.

Somehow the GlowLight doesn't burn a lot of battery power. Nook with GlowLight's battery will last a month - with the GlowLight on (says BN), and two months with it off. This lasts-a-month figure is likely based on average per-day reading times rather than reading continually for a month.

I would have judged the new GlowLight Nook for myself today, except I'm at a European electronics event in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which I'll tell you all about next week. Hopefully, BN will supply me with a review unit to test its assertions.

You can pre-order the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight now for USD139 (USD40 more than the no-light Nook Simple Touch); Barnes and Noble says it'll be available in time for Mother's Day.

Who's reading when and where?

Along with the GlowLight announcement, B&N also released some scintillating data from its recent "Bedtime Reading Debate" survey, in which the bookseller polled 1,358 adult readers across the country about their regular and in-the-dark reading habits.

• 64 percent of respondents read in bed, and nearly a quarter read in bed between five and seven days a week.
• Ebook reader owners are 72 percent more likely to be in-bed readers compared to paper book readers, and are more likely to read in bed on a weekly basis than tablet owners (61 vs. 54 percent).
• Women read outdoors more than men (40 vs. 25 percent), and (here's a shocker) men more frequently read in the bathroom (41 vs. 26 percent for women). Good thing they didn't ask for men's average reading time in the bathroom.
• 42 percent go to sleep annoyed because their significant other was reading with a light on, and men are most of those annoyed sleepers (we are illiterate beasts, aren't we).
• A similar (although I doubt identical) 42 percent reported they or their partner physically relocates to another room to read so as not to disturb their sleeping spouse (and I'll bet it's the women who moved, and aren't you sweet).
• 31 percent of respondents said a partner's use of a light to read in bed interfered with their sleep or prevented them from falling asleep, while only 20 percent noted that romantic overtures did the same (not tonight dear - I'm too tired!).

Hopefully you will have read this on a device that isn't keeping your significant other awake.

Amazon Kindle Now Available For Latino Readers

Amazon Kindle Now Available For 

Latino Readers

Kindle Fire on Amazon

Amazon has finally opened up the Kindle for the Latino population, taking one more step towards stepping in to the global consciousness. This would be the online retailer’s first ever Spanish eBook store.

Tienda Kindle, as it is called online, currently has over 30,000 titles to choose from, including the such writers as García Márquez and Paulo Coelho. The Latin American market has been growing tremendously and there has been a lot of talk about them becoming a major force in the market. Amazon is looking to capitalize on this.

Analysts have mentioned that there has been a long period of growth in the Latin Americas and their presence and spending power have both been growing, thus making them a lucrative area for global businesses. Globally speaking, Spanish is a major language that has a large audience all over the world, says Seneca Mudd, director of Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Multicultural Council. Also an digital marketing expert in his own right, Mudd adds “These moves represent the magnitude of the Americas as a hemispheric marketplace.”

One of the recent studies in to adult reading shows that there has been an increase in the recent past in eBook reading numbers. Apparently, 21percent adults have read ebooks in the past year and the numbers have been growing over the months too. It showed a 3percent increase in the time between December 2011 and February 2012. So this is definitely the right time for Amazon to spread Kindle everywhere they can.

Amazon has of course done its research before making its way in to a market like this. When you are that big, you have the resources for figuring out what kind of demands you would be facing if you step in to the market. So it is another marker that shows the growth of Latino consumers in the view of global business giants.

So far, Latinos who use e-readers are only second generation Latinos who feel more comfortable reading in English. So primarily Spanish speaking consumers don’t go for eBooks at this moment. That is also because there’s a been dearth so far of eBooks and e-readers that cater to the Latino crowd. However, that should change for the better now that Amazon’s Kindle has a Spanish version.

One of the best things about a digital store is that the books are always available there, ready for download. Sometimes it is hard to find books in bookstores, specially the ones that are rare and/or hard to find. Once a book is digitized and becomes part of a store, it becomes much easier to store and access for everybody with an internet connection. Since you can read eBooks on your computer, there’s not always need for an eReader. So there might be consumers who use Kindle apps on the computers to access the Kindle store.

Over all, the new Spanish Kindle is expected to increase sales of both Spanish and English titles.

Is there a future for dedicated eReaders?

Is there a future for dedicated eReaders?

BY TIM BAJARIN | 

When Amazon introduced their first Kindle eReader, there were a lot of articles that suggested that this device represented the future of books. Many wrote that thanks to the Kindle, eBooks would go mainstream and be the most popular way people would read a book in the future. To some degree, there was a lot of logic and truth in this idea. eBooks can be downloaded instantly and in that sense they are much more convenient then having to go to the local bookstore and pick them up or order them online and wait for them to arrive days later.

The Kindle also had another thing going for it. It had an extremely long battery life and you could read it in direct sunlight. Not too long after the Kindle was released, other eBook readers came out from Kobo, Barnes and Noble and many more and even publishers started to jump on the eReader bandwagon and began releasing thousands of books in eReader formats. Over the last two years, prices have also come down so that you can get some eBook readers for as low as $79.00 today.

While eBook readers have had solid sales up to know, the entry of Apple’s iPad and other tablets are set to challenge their need to exist. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo all realize this and have apps to their eBook stores on almost all tablet platforms today and in the case of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, they are also embracing tablets in a big way and, in a sense, starting to downplay their dedicated eReaders and pushing their customers to their tablet versions instead.

Do Amazon and Barnes and Noble think that demand for dedicated eReaders will completely disappear? Not necessarily. But they do know that something big is going on with tablets and that these types of devices will soon become the major platform for reading eBooks. In fact, Amazon is leading the way with their Kindle Fire and adding a key ingredient into their mix that has the potential of really shaking up the entire tablet market and potentially doom the eReader in the future.

The key ingredient is something called subsidization. The Kindle Fire sells for $199, but sources tell us that the bill of materials (BOM) for the Kindle Fire is at least $215.00. But Amazon is willing to sell it at this price because they expect a Kindle Fire buyer to purchase perhaps at last 10 ebooks, rent at least 5 movies and buy various products through the Kindle Fire from the Amazon store that they can amortize against the actual cost of the Kindle Fire and actually make a profit on it.

But Amazon does not have a patent on this idea. Indeed, Walmart has all of the things needed, included an eCommerce store for all of their products along with a real interest in renting eMovies, selling eMusic, etc online to do something similar. And in their case they also have the storefronts to back this up. They may count on the fact that their users will buy even more products from them if they own a Walmart tablet and make it really easy to buy eBooks, eMusic, download eMovies and buy products from their online store. They can use it also as an advertising vehicle for special Walmart offers. And in Walmart’s case, maybe they sell their subsidized tablet for $99 or in some cases, even give it away with special promotions. Although Walmart has shown no interest in doing this, they are the one major retailer who could map Amazon’s model and do something very interesting in the tablet space if they wanted to.

Take Proctor and Gamble as another example. They have over a hundred products they would like to sell you through their retail partners. What if they can get a reasonably priced P&G tablet built and branded for them and then uses it to drive promotions to the users and subsidize part of the cost of the tablet for their customers. From the users standpoint, the Web apps drive their broad content and app needs. But P&G now has a captive audience who is willing to get their ads in return for paying a very low price for this tablet.

If you add the subsidization equation to tablets, you might be able to see that the future for tablets may be where families could have four or five scattered around the house at their disposal and some could be subsidized by various vendors so that owning more than one is the norm. While the OS may still be important to handle localized apps for some, the most used feature will be the Web browser and Web apps, tied to the cloud where most of your personal digital life will reside. And since the Kindle app could be on all of them, your entire library could be in sync and you just pick up the tablet closest to you at the time and start reading where you left off.

The bottom line is that today’s tablets are great and thanks to Apple, the role of tablets in our lives is being flushed out now. But I believe that the tablets of the future will just be screens that use a browser to connect us to everything we need from the cloud and be cheap enough thanks to subsidization so that each room in our homes might have one and when you need one, you just pick up the one that is closest to you. Although there may be some people who would still want to buy a dedicated eReader, it seems to me that subsidized tablets could become so ubiquitous within the home that it could some day become the eReader of choice and the need for dedicated eReaders will disappear.

Over 2/3 of U.S. libraries offer e-books; 28% lend e-readers

By Laura Hazard Owen 

The majority of U.S. public libraries now offer e-books, but libraries’ relationships with book publishers are fraught, says the American Library Association in its 2012 annual report.

“The 2012 State of America’s Libraries” notes that over 67 percent of U.S. libraries now offer downloadable e-books and 28 percent lend out e-readers “and other mobile devices” to patrons, but “when Random House increased its e-book prices by 100% to 200%” the “dialogue between the publishing and library communities concerning ebooks…moved to a front burner.”

The report spends more time decrying Random House’s e-book price increases than it does on the fact that four of the big-six publishers offer no e-books to libraries at all. “No one is quite sure where the ebook–library relationship is going,” the report says. “Is this a marriage that‘s breaking up or an engagement that‘s just going through a rough period? Time will tell, and more data will certainly help.”

In the meantime, the report suggests library/publisher discussions are being hindered by the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation of five big publishers and Apple for allegedly fixing e-book prices, and provides a quote from Hachette CEO David Young: “Publishers can’t meet to discuss standards because of antitrust concerns. This has had a chilling effect on reaching consensus.”