Even as many parts of Europe have seen an easing of VAT rates on digital reading, Moscow is planning to raise its tax rate on books.
Industry Notes: Storytel Buys Finland’s Gummerus; McEwan Wins Iceland’s New Prize
Finland’s third largest publisher has been acquired by Sweden’s Storytel. In Iceland this week, the UK’s Ian McEwan is the first recipient of a new award.
Poland Approves Reduction of Ebook VAT from 23 to 5 Percent
Warsaw’s cut in VAT rates on digital books takes effect November 1, a long-called-for equalization in taxation on print and ebooks, now allowed by Brussels.
OverDrive’s Steven Rosato: The Arab World’s ‘Enormous Advantage’ in Libraries
At the IPA Amman seminar, OverDrive’s Steven Rosato will stress that in moving to a digital library ecosystem, ‘It’s the publishers who must take the leap.’
Federation of European Publishers Welcomes Second-Hand Digital Opinion
The federation concurs with the European Union Court of Justice’s position that, as FEP puts it, ‘There is no second-hand market in the digital world.’
A Publisher’s Own Platform: Norway’s Beat Technologies Heads for Frankfurt Audio
Nathan Hull at Beat Technologies introduces his new Fabel platform for publishers to sell ebook and audiobooks directly to consumers.
NetGalley France Now Wholly Owned by US-Based NetGalley
Formerly a joint venture between NetGalley.com and Feedbooks, NetGalley France now is wholly owned and operated by Firebrand Technology’s NetGalley.com.
Québec City Ebook Distributor De Marque Acquires France’s Feedbooks
In its latest announced acquisition, the Québecois digital distributor De Marque acquires Feedbooks, a 12-year-old Paris-based ebook retailer.
AAP’s StatShot Report January to June 2019: $6 Billion in US Book Revenue
Combined digital formats comprised 22.3 percent of reported US trade publishing revenue, in the first six months of this year, according to StatShot data.
Russian Ebook and Audiobook Player LitRes Opens Sales in Poland
Seeing its audiobook unit sales double year-over-year, Russia’s digital retailer now has a new presence in the Polish market.