Pearson's Penguin Signs E-book Deal In China
21 Avril 2009 - 2:40PM
Dow Jones News
Pearson PLC's (PSON.LN) book publishing division Penguin said
Tuesday it has signed a deal to make a number of its English books
available in electronic book format to readers in China, as the
company prepares itself for the rapid rise in the use of electronic
book readers like Amazon.com Inc.'s (AMZN) Kindle.
Penguin has signed an agreement with Beijing-based Founder Apabi
Group to make over 2,000 book titles available to download.
The Chinese e-book market is primarily focused on libraries and
academic collections but there is a small but rapidly growing
consumer e-book market, the company said.
The Chinese e-book market in 2008 was estimated to be worth 200
million Chinese Yuan (GBP20.14 million).
Penguin e-book sales are becoming a "significant" part of the
market in the U.S., chief executive of the Penguin Group John
Makinson said at a briefing Tuesday.
"We're not at that point in the U.K. but it's likely that
penetration in U.K. will track penetration in U.S.," he added.
In the U.S. about 1% of sales are via electronic downloads for
e-readers. Kindle is yet to launch in the U.K.
Company Web site: www.penguin.co.uk
-By Erica Herrero-Martinez, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842
9353; erica.herrero-martinez@dowjones.com