Philomena Polefrone to Work at PEN America
Associate Director of ABFE Philomena Polefrone gave her notice a couple of weeks ago and will very shortly begin her new role at PEN America. We’re glad some of you had the opportunity to discuss this transition with her during Children’s Institute and/or attend her final ABA education session!
We are grateful to Philomena for all her support of free expression and independent bookstores these past few years and are thrilled that we’ll continue to get to work with her in her new role.
ABA will be posting this job position in the coming weeks. If members need anything in the meantime, they can reach out to [email protected] anytime. Dave Gorgan, ABA’s Director of Advocacy and Public Policy; Ray Daniels, ABA’s Chief Communications Officer; and Allison Hill, ABA’s CEO, are all available for support during this transition.
Need Free Expression Assistance?
A reminder that booksellers needing assistance with free expression harassment in general can always contact [email protected] for assistance. There are also free expression resources (like Training Staff to Handle Curation Challenges) available for stores to prepare, prevent, and respond to harassment.
Blind Date With A Book Trademark Attempt
A company applied to trademark “Blind date with a book.” ABA filed a letter of protest with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on behalf of our members and the office noted its relevance to the case as a grounds for refusal.
The USPTO has issued a “Nonfinal Office Action” rejecting the trademark application for now. The company that applied has three months to appeal. We’ll keep you posted.
California Stores Take Note!
ABA is aware of an individual threatening lawsuits against e-commerce sites, citing the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). If your store is contacted it does not necessarily mean you’ve done anything illegal! In most cases this is a baseless attempt to solicit a settlement from the store. Stores that are contacted should contact [email protected] for support.
In the meantime ABA is grateful to California State Senator Anna Caballero for initiating California Senate Bill 690 which targets abusive CIPA litigation. The bill recently passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee with amendments on July 1, 2026. We’ll keep you posted.