The LOOP Print Emailer

The LOOP Print Emailer

20 July 2000

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AMAZON.SHOP

Just two days after ICANN (the Internat Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) decided to start rolling out the net's first new suffixes in over 10 years - .shop, .news, .porn (maybe) - Jeff Bezos put his foot down about the possibility of another company buying Amazon.shop. "I think our trademark attorney would be disturbed by that," he said, in what we imagine to be the faux-threatening tone that only the truly intimidated can convey.

COP GIVEN CHOP

Californian police officer Norm Ware was fired this week after the release of his self-published book, The Rose Garden. The true-life tale of his life inside the Pasadena Police Force was said to contain hateful remarks about homosexuals and women - one of which described female police officers as "little tramps". Were maintains these remarks have been taken "out of context".

The descriptions of sexual harrassment, theft, corruption and spousal abuse caused some traumatised police to consult counsellors hired by the police chief. Argument is raging over the right to freedom of speech, as the substance of the book is based on public records, such as court cases and news reports. Were's lawyer plans to file a suit claiming violation of first amendment rights.

MILLIONS PAID FOR HOT TALE

Random House offered US$3.3 million to Robert Rubin, former secretary of the US treasury; Warner Books and HarperCollins offered US$7 million to John F Welch Jr, chief executive of General Electric. The extraordinary sums were offered for memoir manuscripts ­ the resulting books will need to sell in record numbers to recoup initial costs. Expect to see them touted as the perfect Fathers' Day, Mothers' Day, Christmas and possibly Easter gift in a year or so, filling bargain bins shortly after.

HARPERCOLLINS SCORES FOURTH ESTATE

Fourth Estate has been sold to HarperCollins in a move that looks set to shake up both publishing houses. Apparently there is a big disparity in profitability and revenue between Fourth Estate and HarperCollins imprint Flamingo, which employs considerably less staff. With the recent cancellation of Michael Crick's biography of Rupurt Murdoch, expect HC UK and HC US to be making a few changes...

NEW LOOP

The July/August LOOP is set to hits the stands late next week. Ever wanted to know what the hobbits on Lord of the Rings read while their fake feet get glued on? Only a week until all is revealed...

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