Potential Apple/Goodreads Partnership Quashed by Amazon Acquisition

[MacRumors]

Before Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads earlier this year, Apple had been talking to the company about a partnership between Goodreads and Apple's iBookstore.

However, once Amazon got into acquisition talks with Goodreads, those talks with Apple broke off, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.

Goodreads had proposed its reviews and ratings appear within iTunes when users searched for a title, one of the people said. iTunes has already integrated Rotten Tomatoes movie ratings in such a way. Apple was entertaining the idea, but talks didn't progress much, two of the people said.

Around March, Apple pinged Goodreads to move forward with the talks, these people said. ITunes officials were perplexed when Goodreads executives went quiet, two of the people said.

Goodreads is a popular book-recommendation site that would seem to fit well into Amazon's sales recommendation system. Amazon has indicated that it will keep the company as a separate entity, but will integrate its recommendations into its system going forward.

Article Link: Potential Apple/Goodreads Partnership Quashed by Amazon Acquisition

 

[sundog925]

Meh. iBooks is fine on its own.

 

[question fear]

Doesnt sound so much like this was quashed by Amazon as "coincidentally going nowhere when Amazon came along."

If talks weren't really progressing, it's not like Amazon swooped in to destroy the deal. The headline reads like Amazon bought Goodreads just to prevent the ten people who browse iBooks from having Goodreads integrated.

 

[M-O]

it would be a feature i never use. like genius.

 

[MattJessop]

Am I the only one who doesn't want to see every cool little social/technology startup that gains traction just bought by Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google/Microsoft/Samsung/Wayne Enterprises??

To it's credit Google seems to be the only one not buying up companies to stop their services being used on competitors devices.

They just shut them down 6 months later instead.

 

[Shadowpig]

Yeah but you can't get everybody all riled up without a sensational headline.

Doesnt sound so much like this was quashed by Amazon as "coincidentally going nowhere when Amazon came along."

If talks weren't really progressing, it's not like Amazon swooped in to destroy the deal. The headline reads like Amazon bought Goodreads just to prevent the ten people who browse iBooks from having Goodreads integrated.

 

[Doctor Q]

Amazon has indicated that it will keep the company as a separate entity, but will integrate its recommendations into its system going forward.

I wonder how long the semi-independence will last.

 

[WildCowboy]

Doesnt sound so much like this was quashed by Amazon as "coincidentally going nowhere when Amazon came along."

If talks weren't really progressing, it's not like Amazon swooped in to destroy the deal. The headline reads like Amazon bought Goodreads just to prevent the ten people who browse iBooks from having Goodreads integrated.

The talks apparently were about to go somewhere. Apple called back to move forward with it, and Goodreads went silent because they were in talks with Amazon.

But no, Amazon certainly didn't do the deal to block Apple.

 

[paul4339]

wow, you'd think that Apple would have bought them shortly after iBooks was released (16 million members)

 

[Bonte]

I wonder how long the semi-independence will last.

IMDB is also with Amazon, some critique but generally independent enough.

 

[appletoandroid]

Am I the only one who doesn't want to see every cool little social/technology startup that gains traction just bought by Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google/Microsoft/Samsung/Wayne Enterprises??

To it's credit Google seems to be the only one not buying up companies to stop their services being used on competitors devices.

They just shut them down 6 months later instead.

You're talking about Google, who is interested in ad revenue. They want to keep the user base! Where as hardware companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung want you to keep buying more of their products. Google makes what, 1 physical product? The Pixel. Soon to be 2 (Glass).

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

A pity, since I absolutely love Goodreads (Apart from their iOS app, which *really* needs some UI work!).

But I'd rather see Goodreads become part of Amazon than Apple, so I'm still fine.

 

[kas23]

You snooze, you lose, Apple. You had enough money to buy thousands of GoodReads, but you let Amazon buy it up instead. And it would have not been much money at all (< $1 million).

 

[milo]

iBooks is useless to me until they can be read on other devices (mac!?).

 

[Tux Kapono]

Shelfari and Goodreads are the two largest social networks for book readers. How in the world did Amazon get away with buying both of them?

 

[iGrip]

Once again Apple loses a good deal due to poor negotiation tactics. So sad.

 

[thekev]

I wonder how long the semi-independence will last.

Remains to be seen, but even Apple has maintained subsidiaries in the past, just not many.

 

[RoastingPig]

we dont need more books get more games

 

[paul4339]

You snooze, you lose, Apple. You had enough money to buy thousands of GoodReads, but you let Amazon buy it up instead. And it would have not been much money at all (< $1 million).

est. $150-200 million, but still quite affordable for Apple.... surprised that they even let Flixster buy Rotten Tomatoes.


.

 

[komodrone]

this was a good read.

 

[bbeagle]

Once again Apple loses a good deal due to poor negotiation tactics. So sad.

You have relatively no information and you come up with that? Really?

 

[Squilly]

Am I the only one who doesn't want to see every cool little social/technology startup that gains traction just bought by Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google/Microsoft/Samsung/Wayne Enterprises??

To it's credit Google seems to be the only one not buying up companies to stop their services being used on competitors devices.

They just shut them down 6 months later instead.

Definitely not the only one.

 

[kas23]

est. $150-200 million, but still quite affordable for Apple.... surprised that they even let Flixster buy Rotten Tomatoes.


.

That's amazing. How does a website become so expensive. They produce no technology, no innovation, no patents, but they're worth that much? It's basically a message board. That's like saying MRs is worth $200 million.

 

[IRANAPPLE]

Am I the only one who doesn't want to see every cool little social/technology startup that gains traction just bought by Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google/Microsoft/Samsung/Wayne Enterprises??

To it's credit Google seems to be the only one not buying up companies to stop their services being used on competitors devices.

They just shut them down 6 months later instead.

Im with you !, in most cases when enterprises buy startups they kill innovation of startups

 

[Bernard SG]

Am I the only one who doesn't want to see every cool little social/technology startup that gains traction just bought by Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google/Microsoft/Samsung/Wayne Enterprises??

To it's credit Google seems to be the only one not buying up companies to stop their services being used on competitors devices.

They just shut them down 6 months later instead.

Well... The whole point of a startup is most of the times to be acquired by a giant. Only a tiny minority can hope of making it going public.