Amazon in talks with Dutch publishers

Online retail giant Amazon is in talks with a number of Dutch publishers about selling e-books, the NRC says on Wednesday.

Currently Amazon focuses on English-language books but is now in concrete discussions with Dutch language publishers and some contracts have already been signed, the NRC says.

Amazon itself declined to comment about when Amazon.nl is likely to be launched.

The paper points out that e-books do not fall under Dutch book pricing agreements, making it more attractive for Amazon to launch in the Netherlands.

Conditions

Nevertheless, the paper says, publishers are still divided about the terms and conditions offered by Amazon. ‘You don’t say no to a new client,’ Sander Knol of publishing company Xander told the NRC.

But Joost Nijsen of publishing house Podium said he did not plan to sign in the short term. ‘There are far-reaching clauses in favour of Amazon in the contract, topics which are suitable for the sector itself to discuss,’ he said.

Dutch online retailer Bol.com last week launched its LeesID project, a digital bookshelf for e-readers and smartphones.

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