• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 1, 2008

In the latest iteration of possibly illegal digital content-sharing, a new Web site, Mygazines.com, allows members to share digital editions of magazines--in essence reading them for free, according to Folio:, which first reported the news. American magazine publishers are not amused: the Magazine Publishers of America is suing Salveo Limited, the owner of the British site, which is incorporated on Anguilla, a British territory in the Caribbean.

Mygazines.com already has digital editions of ADD and Esquire, among others, Folio: reported. The Web site reasons that users should be able to share digital magazines in the same way they pass around print versions at "a doctors' office, law firm, library and hair salon." Implying hypocrisy on the part of magazine publishers, it added that publishers routinely boast to advertisers of their "pass-along" readership.

On the contrary, says the MPA, which characterized the move as "a blatant copyright infringement of our members' titles." The MPA added: "We are aggressively pursuing the matter in conjunction with our members' attorneys and expect that legal action will commence shortly." Executives from New York and Hearst are also considering lawsuits.

The fact that Mygazines.com is based in a foreign jurisdiction may throw a few legal wrenches into the process. In the past, the United States, Britain and other Commonwealth nations have generally cooperated to protect intellectual property and the enforceability of copyrights to encourage free trade.

Brangelina's New Baby Photos Fetch $15 Million

People is rumored to have paid this fantastic sum (enough to send 125 kids to private colleges) to get the exclusive pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's new twins: Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline--born July 12, according to Entertainmentwise, which reported the news yesterday. Like other celebrity weeklies, People needs some help: Through mid-July, its ad pages are down 6%, according to MIN Online. That's still better than Entertainment Weekly, down 16%; Life & Style, down 7.5%; and Us Weekly, down 8.9%.

Wall Street Journal Reveals Lifestyle Mag

After almost a year of planning and conflicting descriptions, The Wall Street Journal finally unveiled its new quarterly lifestyle magazine, WSJ will attract luxury advertising--a relatively stable category even during economic downturns, with lifestyle content addressing recreation, travel, lodgings, food and luxury goods. WSJ seems to occupy the same basic niche as Pursuits, a quarterly lifestyle magazine targeting affluent readers, planned by the previous regime with the approval of News Corp. WSJ is planned to transition to a monthly schedule in 2009.

Time Inc. and NBC Sports Team Up for... Cookbook?

Time Inc.'s Home Entertainment division is joining forces with NBC Sports to produce a cookbook. Actually, "The Sunday Night Football Cookbook" is part of a long tradition of guides to tailgate cuisine, that has seen other publishers produce, for example, "Mario Tailgates Nascar Style" by Mario Batali. "The Sunday Night Football Cookbook" is due out September 2 and will be promoted via "Sunday Night Football." A portion of the proceeds will be donated by Time and NBC to Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest).

Reader's Digest Sells Party Planning Unit

Reader's Digest Association has sold Taste of Home Entertaining, according to Mediaweek, which reported that RDA sold TOHE to an investment group led by the former president and CEO of RDA, Eric Schrier. Schrier stepped down when RDA was bought by Ripplewood Holdings, in 2007. Schrier oversaw the launch of TOHE, and it will retain its president and founder, Bill Shaw, in his current role.