Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part ofPenguin Random House, which is owned by the GermanmediaconglomerateBertelsmann. The new company was created by amerger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, withBertelsmann initially owning 53% of the joint venture, andPearson PLC initially owning the remaining 47%.[2] Since 18 December 2019, Penguin Random House has been wholly owned by Bertelsmann.[3]
Penguin Books Ltd. (est. 1935) of the United Kingdom was bought byPearson Longman in 1970. In 1975, Penguin acquired the American hardcover firmViking Press.[6] In 1986, Penguin acquired theNew American Library, a mass-market paperback publisher.[7] In 1995, Penguin acquired the independent publisher Donald I. Fine.[8]
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. was formed in 1996 as a result of the merger between Penguin Books USA and thePutnam Berkley Group after Penguin acquired Putnam Berkley fromMCA.[9][10] The newly formed company was originally called Penguin Putnam Inc., but, in 2003, it changed its name to Penguin Group (USA) Inc. to reflect the parent Pearson PLC's grouping of all the Penguin companies worldwide under the supervisory umbrella of Pearson's own Penguin Group division.
The different Penguin companies use manyimprints, many of which used to be independent publishers.[11] Penguin Group (USA) Inc. also operates its own speaker's bureau that books speaking engagements for many of the publisher's authors. In 2011, the online writing and publishing communityBook Country was launched as a subsidiary of Penguin Group USA.[12]
On 11 April 2012, theUnited States Department of Justice filedUnited States v. Apple Inc., namingApple, Penguin, and four other major publishers as defendants. The suit alleged that they conspired tofix prices fore-books and weakenAmazon.com's position in the market in violation ofantitrust law.[13] In December 2013, a federal judge approved a settlement of the antitrust claims, in which Penguin and the other publishers paid into a fund that provided credits to customers who had overpaid for books due to the price-fixing.[14]
On 26 October 2012, Pearson entered into talks with rival conglomerateBertelsmann, over the possibility of combining their respective publishing companies, Penguin Group andRandom House. The houses were considered two of the 'Big Six' publishing companies prior to the merger,[15] which became the 'Big Five' upon its completion. TheEuropean Union approved thePenguin Random House merger on 5 April 2013.
^abjoint venture with Amperwelle Studio München Programmanbietergesellschaft,Axel Springer AG, Burda, Studio Gong, m.b.t. Mediengesellschaft der bayerischen Tageszeitungen für Kabelkommunikation, Medienpool and Radio Bavaria Rundfunkprogrammgesellschaft.
^joint venture with Verlagsgesellschaft Madsack, Studio Gong Niedersachsen and Brune-Rieck-Beteiligungs.
^joint venture with Axel Springer, Heinrich Bauer Verlag, Lühmanndruck Harburger Zeitungsgesellschaft and Morgenpost Verlag.
£1.05 billion (2010)
