Google preparing to become an e-book seller

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 02 June 2009 11:37

Opinion and Analysis

While some people may prefer to use a dedicated e-book reader such as the Kindle or the Sony Reader, there is a much bigger installed base of computers and mobile devices.

Ideally, Google's system would allow you to jump from one device to another without losing your place. For example, you might start reading an e-book on your netbook, pick it up again on your mobile phone while travelling, and then take advantage of the larger screen of your desktop PC during a work break.

Perhaps the biggest mystery at this stage is whether or not the in-copyright e-books will be DRMed.

One worrying issue from the customer's perspective is that Google has apparently decided to allow publishers to set their own list prices, though the company will determine the retail prices. This could result in e-books selling at the same price as the hardback editions, though reportedly Google will block "exorbitant" prices.

DRM and hardback pricing is certainly the way to go if you want to discourage sales. Unless the e-books are completely unencumbered with DRM measures, why would you even consider paying full price for something you may not be able to access if the supplier decides to get out of the business, and which may put obstacles in the way of taking your library to a new device?

But the publishers probably look at the number of unauthorised copies of music and video files in circulation, and wonder if their business model will be the next to fall unless they insist on DRM. This conveniently ignores the availability of unauthorised scanned copies of popular books.

Another unknown is whether Google is content to limit itself at least initially to the US market, or whether it plans to secure multi-territory rights from publishers.