Today we saw Kobo removed the ability to buy books through its own application and instead is directing users to Kobo.com within the Safari browser. Today Borders also removed the ability to buy books via its iOS application as well.
Borders updated their application and removes the ability for clients to purchase books through their own application. Kobo actually provides the bookstore library from their own ecosystem.
The company had to remove all purchases made from within the application to comply with Apples new rules. Apple demanded a cut of each transaction made and when you bypass iTunes and the App store to make payments directly through the application, Apple does not many money.
What does the future hold for Barnes and Noble and retail giant Amazon? We shall see.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.