Academic Publisher Lowers Royalties Due To Author For Digital Works

Case Overview

This case involves a dispute regarding textbook royalties. The publisher began bundling the author’s textbooks, e-texts, and a web-based platform with web modules. Despite her material being used for the web platform and modules, the author only received royalties for the sales of the textbooks. It was alleged that the publisher lowered royalties due to the author by dividing the value of the royalties between the three different formats, placing a greater value on the web portal and modules and reducing the value of the book over time. An expert in textbook publishing contracts was sought to interpret the author’s contracts and their modifications in light of technological advances with web platforms and modules in the last 4-5 years.