Bol.com signs e-book deal with Kobo

Dutch online shop Bol.com is going to work together with Canadian e-reading service Kobo to expand its online e-book range. Bol.com announces in a press report that clients will have access to two million e-books, rather than hundreds of thousands, thanks to the partnership, the nrc reports. Bol.com director Daniël Ropers says that this partnership, as well as several improvements to the e-book purchasing process such as the direct availability of books on e-readers after purchase, is part of a bigger branch-wide effort to counter the underground market of e-books. The nrc writes that the branch launched the initiative LeesID last week in harmony with this mission. LeesID is a digital bookshelf that makes it possible for a reader to download e-books from different sellers, rather than having to buy compatible e-books from one seller. Ropers says that this initiative and the partnership between Bol.com and Kobo are part of a wider scheme to improve client friendliness on the e-book market. "The Dutch parties give readers the freedom to buy books wherever they want and read those on every device. This is different than a foreign party that forces clients to stay with them forever." With that, Ropers refers to companies such as Amazon and Apple with their Kindle and iBooks e-reader services, which the LeesID digital bookshelf should offer a friendlier alternative to.