The European digital publishing industry is fragmented beyond belief. Every single member country has their own VAT rate on e-books and a massive loophole was closed that allowed foreign entities operating out of Luxembourg, driving prices up. There has been talk for a number of years about a single European market for e-books, simplifying the book selling process. The … [Read more...] about Will Europe Become a Single Market for e-books?
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Facebook $19B Acquisition of WhatsApp Approved by the EU
Facebook announced their intention to purchase WhatsApp in February of this year for a cool $19 billion (or $21.8 billion at Facebook's current share price); a deal that received approval in the United States a few months later in April. Unfortunately for the social media giant, the acquisition wasn't all smooth sailing --the European Union (EU) opposed the deal, stating that … [Read more...] about Facebook $19B Acquisition of WhatsApp Approved by the EU
Meaning of Free Apps Changing in Europe
Every person with a smartphone or tablet has experienced the frustration of a free (but not so free) app; you download it, you install it, you go to run it... and find that it's so bogged down with ads and purchase options that it's nearly impossible to use. In North America, many classify these apps as being Freemium. Beginning in September, Google has reached an agreement … [Read more...] about Meaning of Free Apps Changing in Europe
The European Union Strikes Down Agency Pricing for eBooks
The European Union today announced a court settlement with Apple, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette and Macmillan. This paves the way for the abolishment of agency pricing for a two year period. Agency pricing basically allowed Apple to compete out of the gate against Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo by getting top publishers to agree to set the prices of eBooks, … [Read more...] about The European Union Strikes Down Agency Pricing for eBooks
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Not to Be Sold in Europe
The Apple vs Samsung battle seems to be getting interesting, more so after the former already having tasted success against HTC on a similar patent suit. After successfully imposing a clampdown on the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, Apple has been able to do the same in Europe as well. A German court has ruled that Samsung would have to withdraw its Galaxy Tab 10.1 … [Read more...] about Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Not to Be Sold in Europe
European Union officials raid eBook Publishers
Anti-Trust authorities based out of the EU have raided several major publishers on the premise of price fixing and artificially inflating the prices. Accusations abound that several publishing companies are getting together under the cartel model to agree on industry standard price fixing. The European Commission admitted to the Associated Press that it had "reason to … [Read more...] about European Union officials raid eBook Publishers