It appears Amazon is preparing to launch a third party app store for Google Android. This makes sense, since the Android platform is open enough to accommodate third party stores (unlike, say, Apple’s iOS platform) and Amazon already offers a number of services for purchasing and downloading digital content on Android devices, including the Android MP3 and Kindle apps.
The company will likely launch a video app for Android at some point as well. And TechCrunch reports Amazon might even launch its own Android tablet.
The real clincher though, is a leaked app store distribution agreement which is making the rounds today. In this document, Amazon lays out everything from the $99 fee developers will have to pay to participate in its app store program and the royalties that developers will get to Amazon’s insistence that it can remove any app at any time.
The app store will reportedly only be available in the US at launch. And one of the most interesting features is a clause which seems to suggest Amazon will be responsible for setting app pricing — although I think what it really means isn’t that Amazon will select prices for each individual app in the store, but rather that the company may decide to run promotions and offer some apps at a discount, or even for free. I could be reading that wrong, but you can read the original language after the break… or hit up SlashGear for the complete document.
Our Operations. We have sole discretion to determine
all features and operations of this program and to set the retail
price and other terms on which we sell Apps. For avoidance of doubt,
if end users download an App that is free of charge, that App will be
deemed to be “purchased” by the end user for purposes of this
Agreement. You acknowledge that we have no obligation to promote,
distribute, or offer for sale any App, or to continue to do so. We are
responsible for and have sole discretion related to processing
payments, collecting payments, addressing requests for refunds, and
providing customer service related to our obligations, and we will
have sole ownership and control of all sales and other data we obtain
from end users in connection with this program.
