Google eBooks Expands to the United Kingdom: First Launch Outside the USA
In mid-September, we reported that Google was allegedly planning to launch the Google eBooks service outside of the USA for the first time. At that time, the discussions were about the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
The rumor has now proved partially true. On October 6, Google expanded the Google eBooks offering to the United Kingdom, making it indeed the first country outside the USA to receive the service – but certainly not the last.
In the corresponding blog post on Google, they particularly highlight the openness of Google eBooks, which allows books to be bought and read on various devices. They also mention the collaboration with major publishers like Hachette, Random House, and Penguin, as well as the availability of the Google Service at Gardners Hive. Gardners is the largest book wholesaler in the UK and launched its own website, Hive, earlier this year, where consumers can also directly purchase eBooks from the Gardners range.
Google eBooks should not be confused with Google Books. While the goal of Google Books is to digitize book inventories so that a full-text search within world literature becomes possible, Google eBooks aims to sell books. However, both services are interconnected in various areas, so the transition from (text) search to purchase is expected to function seamlessly in the future. Books purchased on Google eBooks are primarily stored on Google’s servers and can be read online; however, there is also the option to temporarily download books for offline reading.
Following the launch in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada are very likely to follow. Further rumors suggest that a launch of the service in France is also imminent. There is no information yet regarding the German-speaking region.
