53 : The Global eBook Market: Current Conditions & Future Projections framing conditions. Such markets foster the emergence and, more importantly, sustenance of strong domestic players, for both publishing and retail and for services and innovation. Examples include the emphasis on the national book culture in Germany or France, with an almost unanimous consensus in the professional book communities there on the value of the book and reading and, as a result, calls for price regulation as well as strong defense of the their book cultures against what is de ned as “external interference.” As a result, Google’s digitization projects have been confronted by coordinated legal action in several European countries, which had (particularly in France) strong political support from government insti- tutions. Examples are the French-sponsored national and European digitization projects (e.g., Gallica and Europeana) and the German digital distribution platform Libreka, as well as legal charges against Google. Interestingly, in several of the largest continental European book markets (but not in the UK), the creation of a digital infrastructure has led to the forming of con- sortia, of which several have managed to take up a position as either the primary or the secondary leader in the digital service environment. Such is the case in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden. These same markets, plus most emerging economies, are now targeted by the few global brands (or, in the Chinese term, “super players”) of ebook globalization, namely Amazon, Google, Apple, Kobo, and more recently, Barnes & Noble. All of these players prepare localized versions of their available titles, which go far beyond just the selling of printed and digital books, as they are backed up by various related services for self-publishing and print on demand, thereby coming in a bundle with related value propositions, of which most bring book content onto various mobile platforms. Apple, with the iPad, iPhone, and iTunes, is integrating distribution and consumption under one umbrella. The initially Canadian—and now Japanese owned— rm Kobo has a strategy of teaming Key Drivers and Debates A comparative analysis of international ebook markets shows an abundance of di erent parameters that result in variations between the markets, of which some may be temporary and others that most likely will persist and remain relevant for the mid-term (three to ve years) and the long-term ( ve to ten years). The main drivers of di erentiation as identi ed in the market pro les of this study include the following: Q Key characteristics of the existing print book market Q New market entrants and new paradigms Q Market parameters, including: Q Regulatory frameworks Q Pricing strategies for ebook receptiveness for foreign (English) reading Q Receptiveness for foreign (English) reading Each of these sets of parameters, and combinations thereof, will not only a ect each market’s ebook evolu- tion but will also frame the interplay of domestic and global factors as they encourage either globalizing or more di erentiating forces. Key Characteristics of the Existing Print Book Market The size of a book market matters. Large book markets such as Germany, France and also China are centers of gravity in their own right, for distinct domestic develop- ments. These markets re ect their own national cultural traditions and identities, resulting in strong national
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