People App Now Available, Opens the Door for Others

People is the first print magazine to offer subscribers free access to its digital version on the iPad. Non subscribers can purchase the digital version for $3.99 an issue.

Until now, other magazines were selling issues for the iPad at the newsstand price. Publishers said that Apple had rejected the option of allowing subscribing customers access to free digital versions without explaining its policy.

It’s not clear what took so long but now that People has this option available, other are expect to follow. It’s likely to see publishers such as, Sports Illustrated, Time, Fortune and Playboy to offer print subscribers the free digital version.

Publishers are also wanting to ability to sell subscriptions through the App Store, which is still not available.

Originally posted 2010-08-19 20:30:31.