Top publishers sue Audible for copyright infringement

NEW YORK (AP) - Some of the country's top publishers are suing Audible, citing copyright infringement as they ask a federal judge to enjoin the audiobook producer-distributor's planned use of captions for an education-driven program.

Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster are among the plaintiffs in the suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The legal action comes in response to "Audible Captions," which Audible announced in July and indicated would be formerly launched as students return this fall, with titles including "Catch-22."

Maria Pallante, who heads the Association of American Publishers, said in a statement that Audible had showed "deliberate disregard of authors, publishers, and copyright law." Audible, owned by Amazon.com, is the dominant producer in the thriving audiobook market.