Home
News
You are here

Amazon purchases GoodReads for Kindle recommendations, won't pull reviews from Google Play

3comments

By Michael Heller

Updated: Mar 28, 2013, 5:46 PM

Amazon purchases GoodReads for Kindle recommendations, won't pull reviews from Google Play

If you love reading, chances are you've used Goodreads before. The service has been around since 2007, and has been one of the best resources for socially curated reviews and recommendations of books. Today, Amazon announced that it has agreed to purchase the company in an effort to bolster Amazon's Kindle reviews and recommendations.

Goodreads was launched in January of 2007, and by December of 2007 it had built up a user base of 650,000. As part of the announcement today, Amazon said that Goodreads now has 16 million users, and more than 30,000 books clubs on the site. The company has had a standing relationship with Amazon to help writers and publishers market books, and the company has also had a relationship with Google, as Goodreads reviews have been featured in the Google Play Books store.

Amazon has said that it has "no plans to change the Goodreads experience and Goodreads will continue to be the wonderful community we all cherish." There was no mention of what would happen to the Goodreads reviews found in the Google Play Store. We've contacted both Amazon and Goodreads for comment on the matter, but it seems like just a matter of time before those reviews are pulled from Google Play.

**Update**We received a response from Amazon's PR team, stating simply, "We have no immediate plans to change the Goodreads experience." So, it sounds like Goodreads reviews will stay in the Play Store, at least for the "immediate" future.

The exact plans are unclear. Goodreads mentioned plans to "bring the Goodreads experience" to Kindle readers, but there were no more detailed plans given. Goodreads did confirm that the copyright of your reviews on Goodreads will stay with the writer, but it's unclear if that will take on the Amazon slant. The copyright for Amazon reviews also stays with the writer, but Amazon retains the right to display and sublicense those reviews in perpetuity.

Together with Shelfari, also owned by Amazon, this gives the company huge power over book reviews and social networking on the web.

source: Amazon PR & Goodreads via The Verge

$349

$799

$450 off (56%)

Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$524

$999

$475 off (48%)

Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$499

$1199

$700 off (58%)

The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$1399

$1799

$400 off (22%)

The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Michael Heller is known for his clear and informative articles on mobile technology. He explores important topics such as the rollouts of 5G networks and the advancements in mobile payments, offering readers insights into the evolving tech landscape.