Shunning Amazon, Harry Potter eBooks get Google Books integration [Updated]
J.K. Rowling's Pottermore effort has a new parter: Google Books.
Google has announced that it will be working with Rowling and Pottermore to bring the Harry Potter eBooks to consumers via the open Google Books platform. Once the books are purchased via Pottermore, customers will be able to store them on Google Books or transfer them to compatible devices running the Google Books app. (In case you had forgotten, Pottermore will have exclusive selling privileges to the eBooks.)
Worth $15 billion, the Harry Potter book series clearly holds considerable weight. So it's kind of a big deal that Rowling is bypassing book retailers and working with Google on getting the Harry Potter eBooks to customers.
Update: It looks like that deal with Amazon is on its way as well. "We’re working closely with Pottermore to make sure Kindle customers will be able to buy and read J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books," said an Amazon spokesperson in an email. Might we get official word in the next few days?