Editing Association of American Publishers

{{Short description|American book-publishing trade association}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
The '''Association of American Publishers''' ('''AAP''') is the national trade association of the American [[book publishing]] industry. AAP lobbies for book, journal and education publishers in the [[United States]]. AAP members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and nonprofit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies.{{Nvb|date=October 2024}}

[[Patricia Schroeder]], a former [[United States House of Representatives|United States representative]], served as the association's [[CEO]] from 1997 until 2009, taking over the role from [[Nicholas A. Veliotes]]. On May 1, 2009, another former United States representative, [[Tom Allen (Maine politician)|Tom Allen]], took over as president and CEO. In January 2017, [[Maria Pallante]], a former United States [[Register of Copyrights]], became the president and CEO of the organization.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-01-12|title=The Association of American Publishers (AAP) Names Maria A. Pallante as President and CEO|url=http://newsroom.publishers.org/the-association-of-american-publishers-aap-names-maria-a-pallante-as-president-and-ceo/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116182523/http://newsroom.publishers.org/the-association-of-american-publishers-aap-names-maria-a-pallante-as-president-and-ceo/|archive-date=2017-01-16|access-date=2021-02-17}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}}

== Activities ==
The association's core programs deal primarily with advocacy related to: [[intellectual property]]; new technology and digital issues of concern to publishers; the freedom to read, [[censorship]] and [[libel]]; the freedom to publish; funding for [[education]] and [[libraries]]; postal rates and regulations; tax and trade policy; and international [[copyright]] enforcement.{{Cn|date=October 2024}}

AAP tracks publisher revenue on a monthly and annual basis with its StatShot programs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://publishers.org/industry-stats/overview |title=Industry Statistics: Overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008175148/https://publishers.org/industry-stats/overview |archive-date=2018-10-08 |url-status=dead |website=Association of American Publishers |access-date=2021-08-30}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}} The association has also awarded books, journals, and electronic content through its annual [[PROSE Awards]] since 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://proseawards.com/|title=Home - PROSE Awards|website=PROSE Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-08}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}}

In August 2019, AAP sued [[Audible (service)|Audible]] for its Captions feature, through which machine-generated text could be displayed alongside audio narration.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-24|title=American Publishers Sue To Stop 'Audible Captions'|url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2019/08/american-publishers-association-sues-to-stop-audible-captions/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Publishing Perspectives|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Lee|first=Timothy B.|date=2019-08-24|title=Book publishers sue Audible to stop new speech-to-text feature|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/08/book-publishers-sue-audible-to-stop-new-speech-to-text-feature/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref> The lawsuit was settled in February 2020, with Audible agreeing not to implement the Captions feature without obtaining express permission.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-07|title=Copyright: US Publishers Succeed in 'Audible Captions' Case|url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2020/02/copyright-coup-as-association-american-publishers-succeeds-in-audible-captions-case/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Publishing Perspectives|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Controversies ==
The AAP initially supported the arrest of [[Dmitry Sklyarov]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ardito |first1=Stephanie |title=The Case of Dmitry Sklyarov: This is the first criminal lawsuit under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act |url=https://www.infotoday.com/it/nov01/ardito.htm |website=[[Information Today]] |access-date=24 July 2024 |date=November 2001 |quote=Witness the July 19 statement from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) 'hailing' the actions of the Justice Department regarding the Sklyarov case.}}</ref>

AAP was criticized after it contracted [[Eric Dezenhall]]'s [[crisis management]] firm to promote its position regarding the [[Open access (publishing)|open access]] movement.<ref name="giles2007">{{cite journal|title=PR's 'pit bull' takes on open access. Journal publishers lock horns with free-information movement. |last=Giles |first=Jim |date=2007-01-25 |journal=  Nature|volume=445 |issue=7126 |pages=347 |publisher=Nature Publishing Group|doi=10.1038/445347a |pmid=17251943 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="biello2007">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleid=60AADF2C-E7F2-99DF-383C632C90DD1AA5| magazine=[[Scientific American]]|date=26 January 2007|title=Open Access to Science Under Attack|author=David Biello|access-date=2007-02-02}}</ref> Schroeder told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' “the association hired Dezenhall when members realized they needed help. ‘We thought we were angels for a long time and we didn't need PR firms.’”<ref>Rick Weiss, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012501705_pf.html ''Publishing Group Hires 'Pit Bull of PR' ''], ''[[The Washington Post]]''. January 25, 2007</ref>

In 2020, AAP released press statements to support four of its members in the case of ''[[Hachette v. Internet Archive]]'' (IA). President Maria Pallante said of the case, "As the complaint outlines, by illegally copying and distributing online a stunning number of literary works each day, IA displays an abandon shared only by the world’s most egregious pirate sites."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publishers.org/news/publishers-file-suit-against-internet-archive-for-systematic-mass-scanning-and-distribution-of-literary-works/|title=Publishers File Suit Against Internet Archive for Systematic Mass Scanning and Distribution of Literary Works|date=1 June 2020|access-date=19 March 2023|publisher=Association of American Publishers}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}} This action was opposed by the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/cases/hachette-v-internet-archive|access-date=19 March 2023|title=Hachette v. Internet Archive|date=October 9, 2020 |publisher=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}} [[Public Knowledge]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Knowledge Responds to Lawsuit Against Internet Archive: Policymakers, Publishers, and Libraries Should Make Print Books More Accessible During the Pandemic|url=https://publicknowledge.org/public-knowledge-responds-to-lawsuit-against-internet-archive-policymakers-publishers-and-libraries-should-make-print-books-more-accessible-during-the-pandemic/|access-date=19 March 2023|date=1 June 2020|last=Stella|first=Shiva|publisher=Public Knowledge}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}} and the [[Association of Research Libraries]].<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=ARLnews |number=1268537693727850498 |title=ARL is disappointed, especially this week, at this time, to see "preeminent publishing houses" go after controlled digital lending (CDL) so broadly in their complaint against the @InternetArchive. https://bit.ly/302LIp4 1/3}}</ref>{{Psi|date=October 2024}}

==See also==
<!-- New links in alphabetical order please -->
* [[American Publishers Association]]
* [[International Publishers Association]]
* [[Society for Scholarly Publishing]]
* [[Books in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://publishers.org/}}
* [https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4078357 Finding aid to Association of American Publishers records at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]

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[[Category:Publishing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Publishing-related professional associations]]