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Google eBookstore Now Open in Italy

There’s been no English language announcement from Google (Italian), but it looks like they opened another branch of the Google eBookstore today.

The Italian ebook blog eBookGratis is reporting that they’re now seeing ebooks in Google Play, a first for Italy. I can’t see those pages (regional restrictions), but I did get confirmation from another source that the content is there.

I’m still waiting to hear back from Google, but according to the Google Italy blog they’re now stocking over 2 million titles in their ebookstore including bestsellers and titles from authors like Roberto Saviano, Alessandro Baricco, Umberto Eco, Niccolò Ammaniti, and Massimo Gramellini. Most of those titles are likely in English, given that the Kindle Store stocks less than 10 thousand Italian language ebooks.

Google has also signed a few local publishers, including Mondadori, Einaudi, Piemme, Rizzoli, Bompiani, Adelphi, Longanesi, Garzanti, and Feltrinelli and is carrying titles from the many international publishers that Google has signed in the past. There’s no mention of a local ereader partner, but the Google eBooks Android app should now be available for Italian readers.  Google also isn’t discussing the iOS app, but they do point out that you can read the ebooks in your browser.

This is Google’s 5th local ebookstore, following the launch of the US, CAN, AUS, and UK ebookstores. There does not seem to be any pattern to the expansion, aside from an appearance of clustering. The CAN, AUS, and UK ebookstores all opened within a 5 week period and that suggest we might see more Google open more ebookstores in the near future.

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Comments


Luca Albani May 8, 2012 um 6:47 pm

It works fine, Nate. I can’t downlad epub files yet but I can purchase an Italian ebook and read it on my browser (or smartphone); ebook arrangement seems poor for the moment.


Format C: May 9, 2012 um 4:18 am

I can’t find on the site any information about the ebook file format…

Luca Albani May 9, 2012 um 4:05 pm

You can download PDF or epub files, I don’t know why it was not possible at the very first moment.


Abre a Google Books Itália | eBook Portugal May 10, 2012 um 10:21 pm

[…] O blog eBookGratis garante que a marca disponibilizou ebooks para leitores com acesso Google Play. Estes apenas visíveis a pessoas residentes em Itália. […]


The Digital Reader – The Best News and Info on eReaders and Tablets June 14, 2012 um 8:19 am

[…] on the list.This launch was Google’s 6th local ebookstore, f0llowing only a month after a launch in Italy, and launches in the UK, Canada, and Australia late last year.via /**/ Tags:No Comments so far […]


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