#feedbook

The distributor says the American market will be more accessible, as well, for publishing interests, because Feedbooks currently supplies content to major US libraries through its partnership with the Digital Public Library of America.

In a prepared statement, Marc Boutet, De Marque’s CEO, is quoted, saying, “This is an important step in our vision to maintain our international leadership in the fields of e-reading and digital content monetization.

“The company’s goal is to create an open network of renowned international experts and to be the reference in regards to e-reading and digital media consumption.

“Our relationship with Feedbooks is not new. For more than five years, our two companies have developed many synergies together by investing in new flexible DRM, as well as in ebooks and audiobooks. We also both positioned ourselves as leaders within the Readium Foundation and the European organization EDRlab.”

For Feedbooks, co-founder Roussel in Paris says, “This is a natural and beneficial progression for Feedbooks.” He talks of the online retailer now moving forward under De Marque’s ownership “at a new speed.”

De Marque acquired Barcelona’s Libranda in July 2018 and, as Publishing Perspectives readers will recall, announced in January its acquisition of Groupe Archambault’s e-lending service for libraries.

According to today’s information, De Marque now has an employee base of 57 people and offices in Québec City, Montreal, Barcelona, and Paris. The company is 28 years old and its Cantook Hub is a platform that now is reported to distribute more than 480,000 ebook titles from at least 2,300 publishers to as many as 1,300 sales points in many parts of the world.

Cantook Station is the company’s e-lending service for libraries. The company signals that it’s in use in more than 2,000 library facilities in Canada and Europe. Since its launch in 2012, that service is reported by De Marque to have registered more than 8.6 million ebook checkouts by library users.