These days, several libraries and companies that used Nook services are sending emails and announcements to their customers warning of the end of the relationship between Overdrive and Barnes & Noble , so Nook users will not be able to enjoy certain services they previously had with this relationship.
This involves the use of more than 1000 magazines that Nook users will no longer have because their use belongs exclusively to Overdrive, but these are not the only editorial titles that will no longer be available to Nook users.
Overdrive belongs to Kobo, one of Barnes & Noble's competitors, so it seems the discontinuation of these services is primarily due to this rivalry, although official information on this news is not yet available . So far, we only know of the discontinuation through the announcement of certain libraries, but we don't know if it's actually due to new decisions by Barnes & Noble or by Kobo. In any case, everything points to a decision by Kobo.
Overdrive and Barnes & Noble rift could be the first of many firsts
But what this news indicates is a change of direction, or rather, a change in approach, that Kobo has had until now. Until now, Kobo's growth was based, among other things, on being able to absorb customers from other digital bookstores that were failing , but if it now goes after them, it may lose this type of clientele.
But it could also be an isolated case, perhaps due to achieving second place worldwide in ebooks. Personally, I think it's all down to a decision by Barnes & Noble, but there's nothing yet to confirm or deny it. At least for now. What do you think?