Arthur Frommer reportedly takes back brand from Google, will keep guidebooks going

The tale of Google and Frommer's famed travel guides has taken another twist this evening. Associated Press writer Beth Harpaz reports Arthur Frommer confirmed over the phone that he has retaken control of the brand from Google, and plans to continue publishing them in e-book and print formats, as well as maintaining the website. This comes after Google acquired the brand from publisher Wiley in 2012, followed by's revelation last month that it apparently intended to shut production of the books down.

We're told by a Google spokesperson (check after the break for the full statement) that it has integrated the content acquired from Frommer's and Wiley into its products including Google+ Local, but returned the brand to the founder and will continue licensing "certain content" to him. Why things took this circuitous route right back to the man who started it all back in 1957 is unknown and terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but we're sure fans of the budget travel how-tos are happy to see Frommer's keep going.

[Image credit: Frommer's, Facebook]


We're focused on providing high-quality local information to help people quickly discover and share great places, like a nearby restaurant or the perfect vacation destination. That's why we've spent the last several months integrating the travel content we acquired from Wiley into Google+ Local and our other Google services. We can confirm that we have returned the Frommer's brand to its founder and are licensing certain travel content to him.


Arthur Frommer takes brand back from Google, will keep guidebooks going