Amazon Buys All Print and Digital Rights to the James Bond Books

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Amazon just scored exclusive publishing digital and print publishing rights to the James Bond series of books.

Amazon Publishing has exclusive North American rights to the James Bond library for 10 years. Two nonfiction books by James Bond author Ian Fleming — Thrilling Cities and The Diamond Smugglers — are also included in the deal. All of the books will be reissued by Amazon Publishing’s Thomas & Mercer imprint beginning in summer 2012.

There are 14 books in the James Bond series are:

• Casino Royale
• Live and Let Die
• Moonraker
• Diamonds Are Forever
• From Russia with Love
• Dr. No
• Goldfinger
• For your Eyes Only
• Thunderball
• The Spy Who Loved Me
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
• You Only Live Twice
• The Man With The Golden Gun
• Octopussy and Living Daylights

The James Bond books have sold a total of more than 100 million copies worldwide since their release. The books are, of course, the inspiration behind the highly successful film franchise of the same name. It also happens to be the longest-running franchise in movie history. There have been a number of other James Bond books written by subsequent authors after Ian Fleming’s death, but none of them are included in this deal.

Some really interesting questions come out of this. Since Barnes & Noble will not stock books from Amazon Publishing (not unless the digital versions can also be sold in the Nook store), will the biggest bookstore chain in the United States carry the books? Will Amazon let B&N sell the books in Nook form? Will Amazon sell the books anywhere except for Amazon.com?

You can view all of the James Bond books on Amazon here.

[Source: Amazon press release]

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