Thursday, February 24, 2011

Apple wants to charge publishers and booksellers

Are you "in App" or "out app? This question stirred currently all digital book players, whether online booksellers, publishers and broadcasters. Reminder: in France, the digital book market, which weighs less than 1% of sales of the edition, remains very infancy. But it is mainly thanks to sales of iPad, the famous digital tablet from Apple, it begins to develop.

Let's start by explaining the use of all those who do not use the tools of the multinational. Whether the iPad, the iPhone or iPod Touch, digital books can be sold in two ways: either in the App Store, Apple's online store, either by means of "applications" hosted by Apple but developed by external actors.

Until now, App Store sales outside were free of any commission. However, as of June 30, all developers of applications dedicated to the iPad, the iPhone or iPod Touch will go through the procurement system built by Apple. In the field of books, it means they will use the library "iBookstore" Apple, incidentally, will collect his tithe of 30% on each transaction.

Today, about 300 000 applications from the App Store account, 50 000 (or one in six) are related to digital books. Faced with this profusion, the store threatened to turn into a large storage room and executive of Apple can be interpreted as a way to restore order. But that measure - made for the first time the United States against the application of e-books from Sony - is also the surest way of eliminating competition.

United States and France, it is not in effect but users online booksellers that are targeted. Overseas, this target Amazon, the market leader with its Kindle e-book, which, as a seller of books, has developed applications compatible with the iPad. In France, this primarily affects Fnac, present on the App Store that launched its own reading light, Fnacbook in November 2010.

The big retailers are waging the battle on a triple online stores, equipment and contents. Apart from online booksellers, several platforms independent distribution of digital books - ePagine, MobiLire but Eden Books, which includes Gallimard, Le Seuil and Flammarion and Izneo site, which brings together eight leading comic book publishers Franco and Belgium - are also involved.

They have received a mail from Apple informing them of the change in trade policy. For French publishers, the situation is very uncomfortable: they either yield to the injunctions of Apple, or they hire an iron hand, by organizing a boycott of the store of the firm at the apple. "If we give 30% to Apple, you can donate anything to booksellers," admits Regis Habert, CEO Izneo.

Established a year ago, this site presents the first catalog online comic. It includes more than 2000 news and offers rental, starting from 1.99 € and purchase from 4,99 €, albums readable directly to users. This offer is available on computers, tablet or mobile phone and is accessible through the sites of booksellers.

Several other aspects of trade policy are also reported to Apple, as the company is very guideline prices and prudish about censorship. It is thus difficult to market comics with representation of nudity. And the Apple store, Izneo not entitled, for example, develop a "stand" dedicated to the universe of Lucky Luke.

Responsible for enforcing French editions of Harlequin to the iPhone and iPad, Yannick Lacoste MobiLire CEO meets with similar difficulties. While the application he has put in place (300 titles with prices ranging from 2.99 to 9.99 € €) has been increasingly successful, it is impossible to develop a space within the store Harlequin of Apple.

His approach is seen as coming into direct competition with iBookStore, which Apple wants to make its unique library. In the eyes of the firm, is an intermediate MobiLire too. The publisher and the U.S. firm must share profits only (70% - 30%) Number of each publication in France, Hachette Livre has not yet responded.

On the one hand, publishers of the group (Grasset, Fayard, Stock, latte ...) signed - along with Albin Michel, Eyrolles and Bragelonne - agreements with Apple and their new catalog is available on iBookStore. On the other, Hachette bought in 2008 Numilog digital platform, which is directly threatened by the change in trade policy from Apple.

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