The deal is good news for print subscribers, although Time hasn’t gone so far as to allow in-app subscription purchases on the iPad. Doing so would force Time to agree to Apple’s terms and give up 30 percent of in-app sales revenue along with access to personal information about iPad users.
Apparently Time and Apple had been working on an agreement for some time before working out the free digital edition deal for print subscribers. The companies haven’t, however, come to terms yet over in-app subscriptions.
Neither company is talking about the negotiations publicly, so there isn’t any word on whether or not Time will ever allow in-app magazine subscription purchases on the iPad.