“Looking for a copy of the appendix to the budget of the United States? It’s now available on iTunes,” Steve Vogel reports for The Washington Post.
“The Government Printing Office has signed an agreement with Apple, Inc. to sell some federal publications in e-book form for iPads, eReaders, PCs, and Macs,” Vogel reports. “‘This is kind of where GPO is going,’ said Gary Somerset, spokesman for the agency, which announced the agreement last week. ‘We’ve moved beyond ink or paper.'”
Vogel reports, “Thus far, e-book sales represent only a tiny portion of GPO sales, with a grand total of about 700 sales from about 50 titles… The GPO, which marked its 150th anniversary last year, is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the federal government, and works with federal agencies to produce their publications, books, and reports in print and digital formats.”
Read more in the full article here.
What?!? Is this under the agency model where the Feds can set the price or the Amazon model where the retailer can sell for less than costs?
BINGO!!!
heh, wtg Ken, astute observation.
Boom!
DOJ better get in there and stop this obvious monopoly!
Is there no irony here? Should the US DOJ file charges against the US GPO for entering into a monopolistic contract? How does that even work? Government being accused of a monopoly? Say it ain’t so!
Better they should file charges against Britain’s GPO.
Efficent government?
Imagine that.
So does Apple get their 30% cut?
You’d better believe it!