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Julian Assange's Unauthorized Autobiography
macwhizkid writes "After signing a major book deal for his autobiography, Julian Assange backed out (allegedly worrying about self-incrimination) but failed to return his £500,000 advance payment. The publisher is understandably unhappy with this outcome, and intends to publish the 'world's first unauthorized autobiography' from an early draft Assange submitted. The book will be in stores tomorrow, but I'm still hoping it'll be published early on WikiLeaks..."
I knew that strange woman at my door wanting sex must be into me because I'm totally hot, not because it was any kind of setup. You see, the Julinator is really smart that way. And the Julinator trusts his intuition. She was so into me that she stole my laptop later that night as a souvenir of an awesome night when I rocked her world. That's just the kind of impression the Julinator makes. Besides those CIA types are all guys, right? The Julinator learned that from those Jack Ryan movies.
Hey, why is my lawyer calling at this hour?
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
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"Assange So Paranoid Even His Autobiography Is Unauthorized"
If someone backs out on a contract with you, you don't just take what you have and say "oh well, we'll do with what we have." You hit them with breach of contract and get your money back. I wonder if he and the publisher had this planned from the get-go to put plausible deniability on the book.
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You know, I'm totally down for what wikileaks did, but I find the irony in this delicious.
Maybe the publisher feels they stand to profit more by publishing the now controversial book, based on what they've already got?
If they sued over breach of contract, sure - they could try to get their money back, but as we all know, court judgments are FAR from a guarantee of getting repaid. With a character like Assange, perhaps they think it's a FAR better bet to take a chance on making money from his rough draft they possess than by counting on the court system to make him cough up the money?
What is understandable about getting nothing for your Assange advance? All publishers should advance Julian money for gracing our planet. He is that f***king great.
I shall download the book from pirate bay. After all, everyone must have access to information.
The publisher is understandably unhappy with this outcome, and intends to publish the 'world's first unauthorized autobiography' from an early draft Assange submitted.
I don't believe a publisher would not be aware of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, so the claim of being the "first unauthorized autobiography" is a lie.
So who will buy a copy? I expect the major audience--hackers--will universally pick up a copy off torrents, Usenet, IRC or a cyberlocker.
I don't care about Julian Assange as a person. He's just a face for Wikileaks. It's their goal which is important. This autobiography is just means to fund the goal. You might as well buy some expensive stickers from their webstore.
Who would do a thing like that?
A better article title? "Wikileaks editor's autobiography leaked" or "Leaker's life leaked" :D I kid I kid
If someone backs out on a contract with you, you don't just take what you have and say "oh well, we'll do with what we have." You hit them with breach of contract and get your money back.
Not if you still have a valid contract and stand to make more money by publishing what you have.
Since JA presumably signed the contract giving the publisher the rights when he accepted the check, he presumably has no way to back out or block publication. He can fail to cooperate further, but the publisher already has the material and the rights.
A measly half-million UKP recovery, minus whatever JA has spent and can't recoup, minus attorneys' fees, minus the chance that JA will just declare bankruptcy....versus whatever the book will bring in if published. And publisher obviously anticipated that the book would take in more than the half-million UKP that it advanced to JA.
Oh, come on, the guy's got Ass right there in his name, how much more warning do you want? Does he have to be named Julian as well for you to take proper caution?
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Couldn't happen to a better jackass. Probably won't sell, though.
See comment title. 'Nuff said.
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Is Julian Assange a slimeball?
Well, it's not like his middle name is Sark... actually, y'know I have never heard his middle name... makes you think, eh?
That does it, to me he shall henceforth be known to me as Julian Sark Assange -- the Ass bit, plus his residence in RL vs. on TV, cancels the Julian Sark charm, while reinforcing the Julian Sark horrible-personness.
I don't think he can back out, can he? A contract is a contract[1]. The other party may choose to let him buy himself out if he offers terms that they agree with; but they're under no obligation to do so.
[1] There are some exceptions, but I'm not sure this is one of them.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
More like unwanted. Who effin' cares about ASSange?
Julian Assange backed out (allegedly worrying about self-incrimination)
Vice President Cheney didn't worry.
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I read it on my Kindle.
As he puts it:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
I've been following this in the guardian recently and it seems to me that they have been spending a suspicious amount of time trying to assassinate Assange's character. Just read their take on the recent release of the un-redacted cables... and their other articles that seem to serve no purpose but to try and damage his reputation. They are all collected here if you care to waste a few hours... http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/julian-assange?INTCMP=SRCH All I see are a long list of ad-hominem and poisoning the well fallacies, and this is being generous - some of it they have clearly just made up. You think he's arrogant?... So what? I'd say he has a right to be. Unlike many of the other arrogant people, running their mouths off he's actually done something useful. Doesn't anyone think its ironic the organisation that has done the most to disseminate valuable information is being given the tabloid treatment by what is supposedly one of the UK's leading left-wing papers? Jealousy? People need to grow-up and look at the issues instead of focusing on a fallible man and getting excited when you find a fault. Who else here would stand up to this level of scrutiny as well as he has?
Assange has lost much of the support that brought him into prominence. His horrible treatment of Bradley Manning has doubtless eroded the confidence of future potential major leakers.
If I was a publisher, I'd be worrying that Assange's days as a household (?) name are numbered and I'd be trying to get my money while he was still somewhat "hot."
I have it on good authority that in Sweden the legal term is Book By Surprise.
In book publishing, writers are notorious for taking an advance payment and never delivering the book. Usually it's never delivering the final draft, which some authors never agree is quite finished. Sometimes it's years of "writer's block", or distractions. The coke and hookers an advance can buy (or more typically booze and cigarettes) can interfere with the discipline part of the creative process. And some publishers will add to the advance to encourage a writer to finish when they get late.
Partly it's because the risks of authors failing to deliver are outweighed by the profits of actually successful books. Of course authors who deliver but whose books don't sell are indistinguishable in the bottom line from authors who never deliver. But partly it's because publishing is full of lame businesspeople who'd rather be book publishers, with the associated status, associations and perks than make more profits. Partly it's because often creativity and reliability are contradictory. Partly it's because the market is as fickle as the authors pool.
Usually the advance isn't nearly this big, and when it is it's unusual not to get a book out of it. But Assange is a celebrity author - the technical and even political market for his story isn't a big book market. So probably they gave the advance knowing they'd get something they could publish and sell while his name was still in the news. Or even set up the whole thing as a publicity stunt. In which case it's working perfectly.
--
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...the "mad Australian" let nothing get in the way of his quest for mastery. Not even a feline.
"Julian was constantly battling for dominance, even with my tomcat Herr Schmitt," says the German.
"Ever since Julian lived with me in Wiesbaden he (the cat) has suffered from psychosis. Julian would constantly attack the animal. He would spread out his fingers like a fork and grab the cat's throat.
(and let me just note that - with such violence against cats - Assange crossed the line, broke all limits, as far as I am concerned)
One that hath name thou can not otter
If you're interested in the subject, I recommend reading the Daniel Domsheit-Berg book: "Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website". If D's account is any guide, erratic behavior from Assange shouldn't come as a surprise. And myself I would expect an Assange autobiography to be even less accurate than is the norm for such a thing, he's apparently into "self-mythologizing".
I've also been looking at Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy by The "Guardian", which I'm afraid has a bit of trashy vibe to it, but has some interesting details here and there.
Since Julian tried to point the finger at them for the release of the unredacted cables, their editorials of him have become scathing.
Personally I hope an alternative to Wikileaks shows up at some point and does the whole thing properly without the ridiculous circus and personality cult of old Jools. The idea is a great one, I'd just prefer it without an egomaniacal dictator at the helm.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.