Barnes & Noble Buys an eBook Platform
I was just musing on a post about the impacts of Amazon’s Kindle for iPhone app. One of those potential thoughts was to examine what it means to independent eBook content and software providers. Fictionwise is a notable example with their eReader platform and already there’s a change in the winds. Today, TeleRead reports that Barnes & Noble purchased Fictionwise in a deal valued around $15.7 million.
My immediate hope out of this deal is that Fictionwise continues along the same path it has for years: simple DRM (or no DRM!) and support for multiple devices and platforms. The question in my mind is this: does Barnes & Noble have the clout to get current titles in a Fictionwise format sooner and for less than today. If so, it’s a win-win from where I stand. I’ve also got my fingers crossed that we see eReader support on FoxIt’s upcoming eInk device.
I hope the stores continue as they were with more clients. Heck maybe Barnes and Noble are working on a competitor for the Kindle.
Funny how things turn around. BN used to be a big promoter of Ebooks several years ago. I used to buy all my Microsoft Reader .lit books from them; although if I recall they carried a variety of formats. They completely pulled out of the eBook market in fall of 2003.