The two companies are combining to create an ebook distribution platform for consumers.
While there is not a lot of detail available yet, the Bookseller is reporting that this will be primarily for the distribution of German-language books and will also sell ebooks from third parties. Holtzbrinck will be a direct partner, but Bertelsmann will be represented by Random House and Arvato Services.
This brings into question the industry-wide distribution project, Libreka, of the German trade association Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchandels.
Both company which want to earn money. Hopefully they are doing it better than Libreka atm, it’s a disaster to search for ebooks there and some you can’t find, even if you can buy them at any German Online Bookstore.