“Oyster, one of the major players in the fledgling U.S. subscription e-book market, announced there would sunsetting their business, sometime in 2016. And it was later learned, in an intriguing twist, that Google had stepped in for what’s been called an ‘acqui-hire.’ In other words, Google bought the company, but not to run it; they are assuming Oyster’s liabilities, and are bringing on Oyster’s talent. Yet Google is resistant to calling this an acquisition,” reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.