Hasta La Gadget!

In the US, the e-book price fixing scandal appears to be winding towards its inevitable conclusion. Many of the publishers settled with the DOJ right off the bat, and now the states themselves have gotten three publishing houses to cough up $69 million in their own agreement. (Of course, Apple, Macmillan and Penguin have all decided to go the trial route, but we’ll have to wait till next year to see how that plays out.) In Europe, the battle is still raging on, but Reuters is reporting that the accused are offering concessions in a bid to put the antitrust allegations behind them. The only name missing from the list is Penguin, which may or may not be part of the plea deal. Not all the details of the proposals have been revealed yet, and there’s no guarantee the commission will accept them. The heart of the settlement, however, would involve allowing Amazon to sell e-books at a discounted price for two years. Would cheaper Kindle books be good, clean fun for the whole family? Sure, but it certainly pales in comparison to the potential penalties if Apple and their publishing partners go to trial.

Filed under: Apple

Apple and publishers offer deal to put price fixing scandal behind them in EU originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When the US Department of Justice sued Apple and five major book publishers over alleged e-book price rigging, it immediately became clear that a few of these companies would do just about anything to avoid trial. That same day, three of the publishers — HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette — elected to settle with the DoJ. Now, those same three publishers have reached an agreement in 49 states (all but Minnesota), wherein consumers will receive a combined $69 million in compensation.

Specifically, the payout applies to people who bought agency-priced e-books between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. Interestingly, the payout includes folks who bought e-books from Macmillan and Penguin, even though those two publishers aren’t settling. As for making sure people get paid, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google, Sony, Apple and Kobo have agreed to identify and contact affected customers. According to ABC News, most of these retailers will give customers the option of receiving a check or a credit toward future purchases. Sony, meanwhile, will automatically issue checks, while Google will direct customers to an online submission form where they can file a claim. Whatever the method, payments are expected to begin 30 days after the settlement is approved. The DoJ settlement, which is separate from the agreement with the 49 states, is still awaiting clearance.

States reach $69 million settlement with three publishers in e-book price fixing case originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble has continued its quest to stock the shelves of United Kingdom bookstores with Nooks, by adding Argos, Blackwell’s and Foyles to the list of where you can get one. Those retailers will join John Lewis in carrying the Nook Simple Touch and its Glow Light-toting cousin, giving UK’ers nearly a thousand bricks and mortar sites to get one — including bookstores at 55 colleges and universities. Those locations will join Barnes & Nobles recently launched online website in selling the e-readers — but if you like to Touch before buying, the PR is after the break.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble continues British invasion, forges pacts with Argos, Blackwell’s and Foyles

Barnes & Noble continues British invasion, forges pacts with Argos, Blackwell’s and Foyles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon’s Appstore has been doing brisk business stateside, and is now ready to sell its wares to Europeans in Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Spain. If you sign up, you’ll be able to create reviews and make one-click payments, and will have access to a huge library of apps from top-tier brands, as well as localized content. The company said purchases can be used “across a customer’s Android devices,” which will let you buy an app once, and use it on any of your tablets or smartphones that support the OS. If you’d like to check it out, or get one of Amazon’s Free Apps of the Day, check the PR for all the details.

Continue reading Amazon Appstore arrives in Europe, won’t be late for school

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets

Amazon Appstore arrives in Europe, won’t be late for school originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon Publishing is continuing to broaden its distribution channels, as the New York-based imprint has formed a partnership with Ingram Content Group that will make the company’s e-books available to competitors such as Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. As you may be aware, there’s some uneasy tension between the rivals, as Barnes & Noble has previously removed Amazon’s print editions from its retail shelves in response to the company’s former e-book exclusivity in the Kindle Store. It remains unknown whether any of the competitors will indeed choose to sell Amazon’s content in electronic form. It’s also worth pointing out that because deal applies only to Amazon Publishing’s New York-based imprint, the company’s west coast division is excluded from the distribution deal. Regardless of how things shake out, it’s encouraging to see Amazon extend the olive branch — now let’s hope the competition reciprocates.

Amazon Publishing inks deal with Ingram, opens e-book distribution to rivals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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