Sony to challenge Apple in Japan with e-reader | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Sony to challenge Apple in Japan with e-reader

AFP | By, Tokyo
May 27, 2010 04:07 PM IST

Sony said today it will launch an e-reader in Japan and set up a platform for newspapers, books, comics and magazines, challenging rival Apple a day before its iPad goes on sale in the country.

Sony said on Thursday it will launch an e-reader in Japan and set up a platform for newspapers, books, comics and magazines, challenging rival Apple a day before its iPad goes on sale in the country.

HT Image
HT Image

It plans to build "one of the largest eBook distributions in Japan," with telecoms operator KDDI, the Asahi Shimbun company and Toppan printing company, it added.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The joint venture would begin on or around July 1, with the four companies taking a 25 percent stake, it said in a statement.

The move comes a day before the launch of the iPad in Japan and other countries outside the United States, where print media face a steady decline in advertising and have turned to the e-readers as an chance for new revenue.

The Japanese electronic book market is now estimated to be worth 46 billion yen (about 500 million dollars), with most titles distributed via mobile telephones and conventional computers.

"The introduction of digital devices that enhance the reading experience has heightened global interest in digital publishing," the four companies involved in the new platform said in a statement.

The four will also be open to further collaborations to establish an e-book market in Japan. "The eBook distribution company plans to construct an open platform which can deliver content to consumers through a range of devices."

The availability of digital content in Japan has been highlighted as a potential challenge for the iPad which is nevertheless expected to galvanise interest in online books, magazines and other media.

Japanese news media have until now taken a wait-and-see approach to the device, contrary to their US peers.

Newspaper circulation remains robust, falling only six percent to 50.3 million sales daily between 1999 and 2009, the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association said, better than their US peers.

However, magazine circulation in Japan has slumped by a third over the decade.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On