The Dutch Central Book House (Centraal Boekhuis) and iTunes made a deal to supply the Apple iBookstore with Dutch e-books. The Royal Booksellers Association (Koninklijke Boekverkopersbond) and the Group for General Publishers (Groep Algemene Uitgevers) feel left out by the deal and are 'not amused'.

The Central Book House operates in the collective interest of Dutch booksellers and publishers and develops services for the collective's benefit. In August 2009, it launched the service e-Book House that allows booksellers and publishers to sell both digital and physical copies. The deal between the Central Book House and Apple consists of "foreseeing in technical possibilities to make e-books available to Apple's iBookstore. By title, publishers can now decide whether or not they wish to sell an e-book, in addition to other e-bookstores, through the iBookstore."

Hans Willem Cortenraad, executive director of the Central Book House doesn't understands the fierce criticism to the deal. In a letter to both parties Cortenraad tried to reassure them: "There aren't any exclusivity agreements made between Central Book House and Apple in making digital content available. Nor is there a 'closed circuit'." Cortenraad is aware of the desire of the Royal Booksellers Association and the Group for General Publishers to create a digital platform for themselves. Such plans he strongly welcomes as is he open to "cooperation with third parties that can make a connection between the platform and a bookstore."

It seems the Group for General Publishers finds it very sore that it was seconded to e-book deals the e-Book House by a foreign party. "It is a challenge for the whole professional field to handle that with wisdom, a sense of reality and entrepreneurship," says Paula Vrolijk-de Vries.

Central Book House has suspended the ability to upload titles to the iBookstore with four weeks "on the assumption that after this period is clear how and in what way pricing and distribution will be organized."

Source: Boekblad.nl (log in & Dutch)