Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc. Wednesday
united to say they have no current plans for a merger, acquisition or
business combination.
Rumors about an acquisition began last week when the Wall Street
Journal reported that the two companies had held preliminary talks about
combining their businesses.
The WSJ article indicated that a union would assure Barnes & Noble
of a steady supply of e-book material. Gemstar, which develops proprietary
technologies and systems that simplify interaction with electronics
products, is regarded as a potential leader in the e-book industry.
“We will continue to pursue the many exciting opportunities in eBooks,”
noted Henry Yuen, chairman and CEO, Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. “We
will be focused on establishing a win-win strategic alliance with Barnes &
Noble, one of the most important content sellers in the United States.”
Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble Inc., said, “We look forward
to working with Gemstar on other possible business and marketing alliances,
particularly in the eBook sector.”
In related news, Gemstar and ICTV, a supplier of browsers available to
digital set tops, announced they have completed an integration agreement.
The resulting solution allows simple switching between TV Guide Interactive
to various ICTV applications.
