Offset

In a landmark case being eyed by printers and manufacturers for the last several years, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a St. Louis District Court judgement from more than a year ago in which the lower court had ruled against Lightning Source Inc. and Amazon.com for patent infringement. The court’s opinion was unanimous in finding that “no reasonable jury could find infringement on the correct claim construction.” The plaintiff, On Demand Machine Corporation (ODMC), won the initial verdict in March 2004, and was awarded $15 million in damages by the jury. The latest ruling, in favor of Lightning Source,

Manufacturing plant closings aren’t exactly unheard of in this industry, and never is the news of a plant closing received without some pangs of distress for the employees, their families, the local communities, and even the company’s corporate officers who are forced to make such difficult decisions and handle the ensuing layoffs. But some plant closing announcements seem to hit the industry a little harder than others. The recent announcement by Quebecor World that it will close its Kingsport, Tenn., book manufacturing facility is one example. “Anyone in book publishing … probably knows the name Kingsport,” says Martin Maloney, chairman of the public

Thompson West reveals details behind its new online collateral-ordering system where sales reps can customize, get estimates and order sales promotions from their desktops. Thomson West is a leading provider of integrated information solutions to the U.S. legal market, selling legal books and online services to law students, lawyers, and law librarians. It has 2,000 sales representatives, tasked with promoting the company brand and selling a wide range of legal products. As in any company, each sales representative relies on marketing material to help him achieve his sales goals. These materials can include: direct mail, product collateral, and event invitations and signage

As publishers continuously seek to cut costs, many are exploring sourcing work overseas—from manufacturing to content management services, among other tasks. If you're considering this, arm yourself with the information you need to evaluate potential partners and determine whether an overseas partnership will work for you. BookTech Magazine asked industry experts with experience in evaluating offshore partners and working overseas in different capacities to share their tips: Determining if offshoring is right for you. To determine whether you will benefit from manufacturing offshore, consider: 1 If you're publishing one-color trade paperbacks or four-color jobs that can run on a U.S. web press, stay

Top production managers share their insights for choosing the most appropriate materials for each project's audience and budget. There it is sitting in the queue. Files for the heavily illustrated 245-page marine biology book titled "The World Under the Sea: Mysterious Life Forms Revealed." Its budget: fairly restricted; distribution: students, local libraries and some bookstores; author's vision of the final product: a scholarly yet user-friendly piece that will withstand the test of time. What binding and cover materials do you choose? The decision isn't easy. If only there was a simple guideline to follow. While there is no clear set of rules, there

As we put this issue to bed, we're amidst another heat wave—temperatures in the mid 90s, and the humid air so heavy it feels like you could carve it with a spoon. But this time of year means more than just stifling heat. It means that almost by the time you receive this issue, the earliest inklings of a fall wind will be creeping in through open windows, and the absence of the air conditioner's hum will leave a noticeable and welcomed silence. But more importantly, it means that the Gold Ink Awards and Hall of Fame Gala is right around the corner,

No region in the world is safe from piracy. That's the conclusion of Patricia Judd, executive director of international copyright enforcement and trade policy at the Association of American Publishers (AAP) in Washington, D.C. "Piracy is a worldwide phenomenon," Judd says. The AAP estimates losses to its members of more than $600 million a year in about 67 markets across the globe. As more book publishers explore their offshore book manufacturing options, foreign book manufacturers are boosting efforts to lure American publishers. It's all in the name of lowering costs. But does this offshore manufacturing activity put publishers at an increased risk of

CHICAGO, July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RR Donnelley & Sons Co. (NYSE: RRD) announced it completed its purchase of the Asia Printers Group Ltd., a prominent book printer for North American, the United Kingdom, European and Asian markets under the well-known South China Printing brand. The Group's Roman Financial Press is one of Hong Kong's leading financial printers. The acquisition agreement was announced on June 5, 2005. About RR Donnelley RR Donnelley (NYSE: RRD) is the world's premier full-service global print provider and the largest printing company in North America, serving customers in publishing, healthcare, advertising, retail, telecommunications, technology, financial services, and many other industries.

Mergers and acquisitions in the print industry over the past year resulted in some changes at the top of BookTech Magazine's annual Top Book Manufacturing listing—ranked by book-manufacturing revenue. One change concerns the perennial Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on our list. When RR Donnelley acquired Moore Wallace last year, it changed the way the $8 billion company breaks down its revenues. It used to report the performance of individual units, but now casts revenues into two major business components: publishing and retail services, and integrated print communications and global solutions business. The latter category accounts for 40.2 percent of RR Donnelley revenues. Of

In the last year or two, the topic of offshore printing—particularly in China—has gone from being industry background noise to a headline-making concern for many U.S printers, observes Dr. Joe Webb, president of Strategies for Management. By mid 2004, the need for a comprehensive research initiative to report the facts and dispel the myths became clear, Webb says. "A Critical Look at Offshore Printing"—a 138-page report published by the noted industry researcher with the help of Vince Naselli, Deborah Papineau and Joe LiPetri—is the result. For the purposes of this study, "offshore" printing is defined as domestic print demand sent outside the U.S. and