Amazon, Google start Brazilian e-book sales
updated 02:55 pm EST, Thu December 6, 2012
Kindle Store, Google Play hitting Brazil
Amazon and Google have opened digital bookstores in the Brazilian market as of today, looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of e-books in South America's largest country. Amazon will be selling its digital books through its popular Kindle Store and is expected to begin selling its Kindle hardware in Brazil in the near future. Google, meanwhile has expanded its Play Store, which sells e-books and offers movie rentals for computers as well as mobile devices running its Android operating system.
Amazon had the Brazilian market in its sites at least since June of this year, when sources close to the company leaked plans to set up a digital bookstore in Brazil. The Kindle Store precedes the arrival of Amazon's popular Kindle e-reader devices, which the company is expected to launch in Brazil in the coming weeks. When the Kindle does launch, it will likely be priced around 299 reals ($140).
Amazon's push into Brazil is the company's third foray into emerging markets, following earlier moves into China and India.
Meanwhile, Google's Brazilian Play Store has added Portuguese book and movie content. Brazilian users can now, through their computers and through Android devices, access the play store to download books and movies at a range of prices.
Amazon and Google's entry into the Brazilian content market almost overnight greatly changes the competitive landscape. Already, Kobo has partnered with Livraria Cultura, a major Brazilian bookseller, in a deal that sees Livraria selling Kobo's e-readers. Even prior to Kobo's entry into the market, though, Livraria Cultura was in the e-book business, hosting more than 200,000 e-books and selling e-reader devices from iRivier and Positivo. Apple is also rumored to be eyeing the Brazilian market as a possible area of expansion for its iBookstore.
