Android Market to be updated with Paid Apps by Q1 2009

Android Market to be updated with Paid Apps by Q1 2009. An email passed around registered members of the Android Market detailed the future Android Market updates along with their deployment schedule which is due to start in the 1st quarter of 2009.

Google's Eric Chu confirms in the email that the paid applications rollout will take place in stages. First starting with the US and Europe in early 2009 followed by further expansion into Europe later in the year.

Many of you have asked about international expansion plans. I'm happy to inform you that Android Market will become available to users to download apps in additional European countries starting early Q1 2009. Some of the countries we will initially support are Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. As we add support for additional countries in Europe and Asia, we will send out subsequent notifications to you. In mid-January, we will update the Android Market publisher website to enable country targeting. Please start thinking about which countries you want to target and begin preparing your products accordingly (e.g., localization). Note that your apps will not become available in these new countries unless you specifically select them in the publisher website, after we update it.

(source)