Stephen M. Smith

John Wiley & Sons (NYSE: JW-A) announced that President and CEO Stephen M. Smith has declared his intention to retire due to previously-disclosed medical reasons, effective June 1, 2015. The Board has elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Allin as his successor.

Mr. Smith has served as Wiley's President and CEO since 2011, guiding the Company through its transition from a largely print publisher to a knowledge company focused on digital content and solutions.

By now you've likely heard that the Supreme Court has ruled, in a 6-3 decision, in favor of immigrant scientist Supap Kirtsaeng in Kirtsaeng V. Wiley.

In what's being heralded as a win for consumers and libraries, and a loss for publishers, the SCOTUS overturned a previous ruling against Kirtsaeng, who had been buying textbooks printed (legally) abroad—where they cost significantly less than they do in, say, the United States—and then reselling them in the U.S. on eBay and turning a handsome profit in the process.

In a statement yesterday, Wiley's President & CEO Stephen M. Smith wrote: "We are disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided in favor of Supap Kirtsaeng and overturned the Second Circuit’s ruling.  It is a loss for the U.S. economy, and students and authors in the U.S. and around the world."

We are disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided in favor of Supap Kirtsaeng and overturned the Second Circuit’s ruling.  It is a loss for the U.S. economy, and students and authors in the U.S. and around the world.
 
Wiley wants to thank the many organizations, companies, and individuals who filed Amicus briefs and spoke publicly and privately in support of our position.
 
American Bar Association
American Intellectual Property Law Association
Association of American Publishers
Business Software Alliance
LicenseLogic, LLC
Motion Picture Association of America and Recording Industry Association of America
Omega S.A.
Professor Hugh C. Hansen
Software and Information Industry Association
Text and Academic Authors Association
 

In a concerted action, a global group of publishers and publishers' associations achieved an important success in the fight against copyright piracy on the Internet. Overcoming significant technical and legal obstacles, the publishers were able to locate the alleged operators of two high-traffic rogue Web sites, the sharehoster service, www.ifile.it, and the link library, www.library.nu, and to serve judicial cease-and-desist orders to them. These sites have now shut down.

Book Business is pleased to offer you the opportunity to hear directly from William J. Pesce, as he ends his tenure as John Wiley & Sons Inc.'s 10th president and CEO, and from incoming President and CEO Stephen M. Smith.

On Tuesday, May 3, Book Business will present a free webinar, "Learn From Wiley's Legacy and Leadership," sponsored by Aptara. The webinar will feature John Wiley & Son's outgoing President and CEO William J. Pesce as well as Wiley's incoming President and CEO Stephen M. Smith in an engaging discussion moderated by Book Business Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski. The event will begin at 2 p.m. EST.