Amazon, Apple end exclusive audiobooks deal

Apple and Amazon have ended an exclusive audiobooks deal following ‘pressure from anti-trust regulators in Germany and the European Commission’, reports the BBC.

Under Apple and Amazon’s deal, Amazon-owned audiobooks supplier Audible could not offer audiobooks to any other company, while Apple had to take audiobooks only from Audible. The deal was signed before Amazon purchased Audible in 2008.

Competition regulators at the European Commission said the move is ‘likely to improve competition in downloadable audio book distribution in Europe’. According to German publishers, whose complaints kicked off the investigation, more than 90% of all downloads of audiobooks are done via the Apple iTunes store or through the Amazon and Audible websites.

Category: International news