Britain could be flooded with...
Oh no, what now?
We've endured illegal immigrants, chlorinated chicken, Covid and rap music. What existential horrors await us now?
...books using US spellings and words if ministers push ahead with changes to copyright rules, say publishers.
Oh...
Book rights are currently sold in a way that allows them to sell titles at different prices in different territories. This supports the British book industry and authors.
But the Government is looking at an ‘international exhaustion regime’ which could open the way for internet retailers to flood the market with cheap imported editions.
So a cozy protection racket is coming to an end? Usually that's a good thing, unless it might unleash calamities undreamed of, of course.
Might we get an example?
The Publishers Association fears this would lead to the Americanisation of books in Britain. ‘We will see an influx of cookies, sweaters and sidewalks instead of biscuits, jumpers and pavements – as well as the missing u’s and z’s instead of s’s that drive Brits bonkers,’ said Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of the Publishers Association.
I think I'll survive. Now, I need to sort out a packet of Maryland biscuits to go with my morning cuppa...
Maybe we could s'end them some grocer's apostrophe's in exchange?
ReplyDelete😂
DeleteHe does have a point but it is a point which should have been made almost a hundred years ago. We have been subjected to enough Americanisms through films. A point which also could have been made about the social media abbreviations, thru, ur, etc. This little to do with purity of our language, I'm sure they don't give a tinker's about that. It is all about money, as usual. The real losers will be the printing firms in the UK, perhaps they have something to say?
ReplyDeleteIt ALWAYS comes down to money.
DeleteI'd suggest you check out Sarah Hoyt's (accordingtohoyt.com) take on the whole publishing industry and it's self-immolation/suicide-pact.
ReplyDeletee.g. One of my favourite authors is Stephen R. Donaldson. I have his entire 'Covenant of Thomas Covenant' works (an 'adult' LOTR). I attempted to buy the audiobooks as a 'backup/alternative' but ... the publishers refused to allow the rights for decades. Then when Scott Brick (the narrator) bought them and self produced/published they fought tooth and nail to prevent them - even now they haven't licensed the second of three books in the First Chronicles or the entire Second Chronicles, whilst 'allowing' the Final Chronicles?!? And just to cap it all they refuse 'any' licensing/sales in the UK.
'Indie' publishers have sprung up all over the States (and here, look to underdogs legironbooks.co.uk) and that's now really showing just how badly the reactionary/progressive/censoring Karens in trad-pub have been all along.
Just like print MSM, their deaths cannot come soon (or hopefully messily) enough for me.
I'll admit it's annoying' having to read/listen to (the often inane/imbecilic/can't cope with anything too complicated or with too many vowels) American spelling/pronunciations but ... if there's a market for 'real English' books then getting the idiots in trad-pub out of the way would only be a good thing in allowing indie publishers to supply the need.
(Oh and my spell-checker keeps forcing Americanese on me even when I threaten it so excuse any 'baby' spelling that sneaks through).
Oh, I love Donaldson too! Read all his 'Covenant' books. And thankfully, they are pretty unfilmable so no Hollywood wrecking ball would ever threaten them...
DeleteTry out his 'Mordants Need' (two book series) and 'Daughter of Regals' (stand alone novel) as they're on my favourites list too.
DeleteMy absolute favourite remains 'Dodger' by Pratchett (my proudest moment came when someone I was corresponding with compared me to the master until I started wondering whether she was referencing my witty prose and double-entendres or ... that I sounded as if I had Alzheimers. Sigh!)