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Bob Dylan apologises over controversial detail in new book

<p dir="ltr">Bob Dylan has issued an apology to fans who paid hundreds for his new book and discovered that they were signed using a machine, despite being advertised as “hand-signed”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It emerged that the 900 copies of <em>Philosophy of Modern Song</em>, which set fans back $US 599 ($AU 895) per book, all included identical versions of the star’s singer after fans compared notes online.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to social media, Dylan addressed the controversy and explained that he used an autopen - a device that allows signatures to be printed on demand - due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health issues that prevented him from signing them individually.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem,” the 81-year-old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bobdylan/posts/pfbid02smguWn7EsFwrKGqU8VkTyDr8LgoNeh5ogh6oCvQLDdkiPBLFw5R8woWwgKtw3dWRl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years. It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to while the virus was raging.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5d4cef7c-7fff-194a-ab74-38151e1dc89c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8noXItukF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck8noXItukF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bob Dylan (@bobdylan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Dylan continued to explain that looming deadlines saw him consider a suggestion to use an autopen, which he was told was something done “‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Using a machine was an error in judgement and I want to rectify it immediately,” he concluded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Days earlier, the publisher issued a statement regarding the signatures featured in the books.</p> <p dir="ltr">Simon & Schuster confirmed that the books have Dylan’s “original signature” but that it was a “penned replica form”, saying that those who had purchased the books would receive an immediate refund.</p> <p dir="ltr">"To those who purchased the <em>Philosophy of Modern Song </em>limited edition, we want to apologise," the publisher <a href="https://twitter.com/simonschuster/status/1594437832726040576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As it turns out, the limited-edition books do contain Bob's original signature, but in a penned replica form. We are addressing this information by providing each purchaser with an immediate refund."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4c952972-7fff-3cdf-e673-044c8b68308f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

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Why Duchess Kate can’t sign autographs

<p><span>Duchess Kate is one of the most famous women of our time, however, there are some things she is banned from doing when she greets the public.</span></p> <p><span>The 35-year-old and her royal family are banned from signing autographs when they meet members of the public.</span></p> <p><span>Not only are they not allowed to write their signature, some members of the royal family also refuse to take selfies with the public.</span></p> <p><span>According to royal insiders, the rule was established to protect the royals from people forging their signatures.</span></p> <p><span>In 2010, Prince Charles was asked by a father if the "future King" would sign a piece of paper for his young son.</span></p> <p><span>“Sorry, they don’t allow me to do that,” he replied. He then wrote “Charles 2010” on the paper for him.</span></p> <p><span>Photographer Paul Williams told the </span><em><span>Daily Mail </span></em><span>that he regularly sees the royal politely decline signature requests.</span></p> <p><span>“The long-standing rule remains in place for all royals because of the risk of the signature being forged,” he said.</span></p> <p><span>Charles also apologised for his “shaky writing”, explaining that he never writes standing up.</span></p> <p><span>Prince Harry has also been known to follow the meet and greet protocol closely.</span></p> <p><span>In 2015, while visiting a war memorial in Australia, Harry told a fan he disliked selfies and ask them to take a normal photo of him. </span></p> <p><span>The royals also follow other etiquette rules such as not being allowed to eat shellfish and not eating after the Queen has finished. </span></p>

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