Social Media Lawsuits Grow

News Podcast: Social Media Lawsuits Grow; Supreme Court Ruling Shapes AI Copyright Debate

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on a major U.S. lawsuit awarding damages over social media addiction and a new UK trial restricting teen access to platforms. He also examines a key Supreme Court ruling in Sony vs. Cox that could influence AI copyright cases, and updates on the Anthropic settlement, where reduced legal fees may increase payouts for authors.
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ISPs Not Liable For User Infringement

News Summary: Supreme Court Rules ISPs Not Liable for User Infringement; Anthropic Settlement Fees Reduced

Court cases around AI and copyright are most definitely back in the news following a brief hiatus whilst the courts issued a pummeling to social media firms last week. First up this week we have a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in the US in the case of Sony against Cox. Sony was suing the internet service provider Cox for $1 billion, alleging that it was complicit in copyright infringement.
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Special Edition Decisions

Audio Interview: Verse, Visuals, and Special Edition Decisions — Making a Book with Intention, Featuring Anna Featherstone and Lande Jewels

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Anna Featherstone explores with author Lande Jewels the many decisions that surround and extend beyond writing a book. They discuss form, illustration, publishing models, and the broader impact of how a work is produced and shared. The conversation covers writing in verse, working with illustrations, choosing a pen name, producing special editions with an emphasis on quality, using Kickstarter, and considering social responsibility in authorship. Along the way, Lande reflects on what she has learned through experience, offering practical insights for writers and creators interested in publishing choices beyond the manuscript.
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OpenAI Shuts Down Sora

News Summary: OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video Platform; Audible Partners with British Airways

I think I reported on the Sora app when it launched back in October. The app, which enables users to access OpenAI's Sora generative AI platform on their phones to create short video clips, hit the headlines back then for two reasons. In one of the starkest "there's good news and bad news" stories yet to come out of AI, the good news (for OpenAI anyway) was that the launch broke all kinds of records, reaching one million downloads in just five days. That's faster than ChatGPT. In "on the other hand" news, it kind of sucked that people started swamping social media with fake video clips of dead people, like the beloved Robin Williams. And of course, even at the launch the copyright radar was working overtime.
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Cliff Lovette

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Cliff Lovette Reinvents Himself as a Storyteller After a Career in Entertainment Law

My ALLi author guest this episode is Cliff Lovette, an Atlanta-based author who came to fiction after a long career as an entertainment lawyer, working with major artists during a pivotal time in the music industry. He held onto a remarkable true story about a Soviet circus stranded in the United States for more than thirty years before turning it into his novel. His journey is one of delay, reinvention, and finally taking the leap into storytelling. 
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Jane Friedman Publishes AI Law FAQ

News Summary: Jane Friedman Publishes AI Law FAQ; $3 Million Ruling against Meta Highlights Social Media Risks

Jane Friedman has a long history of publishing incredibly useful information for indie authors. And now she has added an extremely helpful compendium of AI law information. In the form of FAQs, it addresses many of the cases and points of law raised by them that will be of interest to writers. From questions of the disclosure of the use of AI to licensing rights, claims of fair use, and whether you can copyright AI-generated material, this is a handy summary of many of the topics you might want to know about.
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AI Editing

News Podcast: ‘Shy Girl’ Controversy Raises AI Editing Questions; Self-Publishing Surge Sparks Debate

On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway examines the fallout from the “Shy Girl” controversy, where allegations of AI-assisted writing led to a withdrawn book deal and raised new questions about author responsibility and editorial use of AI. He also highlights Jane Friedman’s new AI-in-publishing guide, reports on a surge in self-published titles linked to AI tools, and looks at the growing use of Substack as a platform for fiction.
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Substack Founder's Memoir

News Summary: Authors Equity to Publish Substack Founder’s Memoir; Patreon CEO Attacks AI Fair Use Claims

Some interesting news today from two of the largest platforms creatives, including many indie authors, use. The first of the three items features Substack, the newsletter platform. An interesting piece in Publishers Weekly highlights that Authors Equity is going to publish the memoir of Substack's founder, Hamish McKenzie. The pairing throws us, per the article, some interesting questions about the potential future relationship between traditional publishing companies and formats and subscription-based platforms more obviously targeted at creators looking to take things into their own hands. Among other things, the article looks at the use of Substack by some high-profile authors like Ottessa Moshfegh to self-publish fiction in serial form.
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Self-Editing

Audio Interview: Why Self-Editing Matters and How to Strengthen Your Manuscript Before Hiring an Editor, with Howard Lovy and Katie Chambers

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Howard Lovy talks to Katie Chambers of Beacon Point, an editing and writing services company, about what self-editing really means and why it’s a critical step before hiring a professional editor. Chambers explains her structured, multi-pass approach, showing how authors can strengthen their manuscripts, reduce editing costs, and make better use of professional feedback. They discuss common self-editing mistakes, practical techniques authors can apply right away, the careful use of AI as a tool rather than a shortcut, and how developing these skills helps writers improve with each book.
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Hachette Pulls Horror Novel

News Summary: Hachette Pulls Horror Novel over AI Allegations; Author Sues Publisher

Literary scandals have been with us since Christopher Marlowe got sassy in a sketchy pub, and no doubt for centuries before. And this week, one almighty scandal erupted into the mainstream media (I confess that before this week, I hadn't noticed it bubbling away). At the same time as another literary brouhaha released its latest chapter (in which it turns out the author of the allegedly less-than-accurate memoir "The Salt Path" had actually published beforehand under a different name and was therefore not entitled to the debut prize that launched the book), publishing giant Hachette pulled one of its books from shelves after AI claims.
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New Pathways To Readers With IngramSpark

Beyond the Book — New Pathways to Readers with IngramSpark: Self-Publishing Advice Conference Highlight

In this Self-Publishing Advice Conference highlight, Ben Hughes, senior manager for UK and AU at IngramSpark, leads a panel discussion with bestselling authors Adam Beswick and Samantha Young, along with indie publisher Will Dady, on how independent authors are reaching readers beyond traditional retail channels. While the IngramSpark platform enables distribution to more than 80,000 bookstores worldwide and supports direct sales through author websites, the panel focuses on how authors are building global brands, connecting with reader communities, and driving sales through social media and other strategies. Together, they offer practical insight into expanding visibility and readership through the IngramSpark platform.
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