At a federal court hearing this week, author Greg Mortenson and his publisher sought dismissal of a lawsuit that "aims to obtain class-action relief for book-buyers allegedly defrauded by purported fabrications" in Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools.
According to the NY Times, the class-action case "is potentially crucial for book publishers, the defendants argue, because if it succeeds - which is by no means certain - it could mean that publishers would be liable to defend lawsuits and reimburse readers every time a memoir turned out to have an inflated recollection of events."
Attorneys for Penguin Group, which published Three Cups of Tea in 2006, contended that "if a publisher were required to guarantee or ensure the truth and accuracy of everything an author says, the costs of publishing books would be prohibitive."
According to the NY Times, the class-action case "is potentially crucial for book publishers, the defendants argue, because if it succeeds - which is by no means certain - it could mean that publishers would be liable to defend lawsuits and reimburse readers every time a memoir turned out to have an inflated recollection of events."
Attorneys for Penguin Group, which published Three Cups of Tea in 2006, contended that "if a publisher were required to guarantee or ensure the truth and accuracy of everything an author says, the costs of publishing books would be prohibitive."