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Canadian iBookstore under federal review

University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist is reporting that the Canadian iBookstore is being reviewed by the federal government under the country’s cultural investment policy. According to Privy Council Office documents, an order authorizing the review was filed on Aug. 20.

Under the Investment Canada Act, the entry of foreign-owned companies into the cultural sector must be of net benefit to Canadians. In April, Amazon’s application to open a physical distribution centre in Canada was approved by the government, despite the objections of booksellers and many Canadian-owned publishers.

The Canadian iBookstore launched on July 1 with offerings from HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, and Simon & Schuster. In a recent statement to Q&Q, an Apple spokesperson confirmed that it is working to expand offerings in the Canadian iBookstore. “We work with content providers of all sizes, offering the same terms to independent publishers and self-published authors as we do to the major publishers,” the spokesperson said.

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