A Polish company at a crossroads. A serious image crisis

Conflict with publishers, allegations of lack of transparency and loss of investor confidence have put the platform in a difficult situation. It would seem that the amount of PLN 14.99 for the title should not cause such a storm. Yet.

Negative reactions of Legimi users

From October 22, Legimi introduced a new fee for access to selected books in the Club Catalog, explaining it by legal changes and the need to pay additional remuneration to authors. Users who learned about the changes just a few days earlier are criticizing this move. They argue that the fee of PLN 14.99 for one book is too high, and the change itself introduces chaos into the current subscription system. There have been many announcements of subscription cancellations on the platform. It is worth noting that so far the full monthly subscription amounted to PLN 49.99. In turn, e-book readers paid PLN 44.99, without access to radio plays.

– This information disgusted me. I have been using Legi for years. PLN 50 per month was a favorable price for the entire library of audiobooks and e-books. Now, paying extra PLN 15 per title will not be particularly profitable. I will probably think about resigning from the services and look for other offers – said Agnieszka from the province in an interview with Wprost.pl. Łódź, long-time user of Legimi.

Legimi explains the sudden changes as an amendment to the Copyright Act. It must be admitted, however, that few people believe that this is the main reason for changes in the payment and subscription system.

Image crisis. Benefits and incorrect settlements

Publishers, including the Publishing Distribution Platform and Virtualo, suspended cooperation with Legi, accusing them of billing irregularities. They were accused of failing to report transactions and failing to pay royalties due to authors. Additionally, an unlimited Legimi subscription was offered in packages for Multilife employees, which is offered by Benefit Systems.

According to information from “Gazeta Wyborcza”, publishers revealed unreliable sales settlement by Legimi. A provocation was carried out in which several older titles were purchased. Legimi did not include these transactions in the sales report. The company later explained this way, arguing that it was an IT error.

Titles for PLN 14.99 at Legimi. Which?

As we read on virtualmedia.pl, “The list of publishers who will be added to the club catalog is not fully known yet, and includes: Wydawnictwo Albatros, Wydawnictwo Literackie (and Noir Sur Blanc), Wydawnictwo Czarne, Czarna Owca (also Echa), Wydawnictwo Rebis , Media Family (also Must Read), Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie (also Książnica), Świat Książki, MAG, Powergraph and Insignis,” Legimi enumerated.

Legimi. A Polish company with traditions

Legimi is a Polish company specializing in digital distribution of books in the form of e-books and audiobooks. It was founded in 2010 by Mikołaj Małaczyński and Mateusz Froń.

The company started as a startup and initially focused on selling e-books. In 2012, it introduced an innovative “read without limits” subscription model, which allowed users to access a huge library of books for a fixed monthly fee, which made Legimi stand out on the Polish publishing market.

Legimi operates primarily in Poland, but has also expanded its operations to other countries, such as Germany. The platform offers access to thousands of titles, and its services are available on various devices – e-book readers, smartphones, tablets and computers.

In 2021, Legimi debuted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which strengthened its position on the technology and publishing market. The company is constantly developing, adding new functions, such as synchronization between various devices, as well as expanding its catalog with new titles and cooperating with many publishers.

Currently, despite the crisis related to additional fees and conflicts with publishers, Legimi remains one of the key players on the Polish digital book distribution market.