Amazon faces lawsuit over audiobook distribution
Amazon's Audible is being taken to court by author Christine DeMaio (CD Reiss), who says the company is making it tough for indie and self-published authors. The lawsuit claims Audible forces higher fees on those who won't sign a 90-day exclusivity deal, offering a bigger royalty (40%) only if authors stick with them, and just 25% if they don't.
Case could have bigger implications for how much power big
Audible controls more than 60% of the US audiobook market—way ahead of competitors like Apple. The lawsuit is aiming for class action status and over $5 million in damages for thousands of affected authors. A judge has let the case move forward, even though Amazon insists it hasn't done anything wrong and believes its business practices are fair. Audible says it's confident in its business practices and is ready to defend itself as both sides start gathering evidence. This case could have bigger implications for how much power big tech companies have over creators.