Amazon said it will start distributing apps in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain “later this summer,” with launches in additional markets set to follow in the near future.

The company launched its Appstore in the US during 2011, stating that it “has had a very successful year with millions of customers discovering and developing apps and games.” It has also recently added support for in-app purchasing, to provide a monetisation option for freemium developers.

Developers can now select the markets where they would like apps sold, and set list prices by marketplace. The company said that apps will be made available for sale internationally by default, but that developers “are responsible for ensuring their apps comply with all applicable export and import restrictions and the laws of the countries in which the apps are sold.”

Amazon also said that while it will not require apps to support multiple languages, it “encourages” developers to localise apps with language translations, and to “think of ways to deliver great experiences to your international customers.”

The company also noted that it has changed the terms for its in-app purchases, so that developers will receive 70 percent of the proceeds – previously it offered 70 percent of the sale price or 20 percent of the list price, depending on which was greater. It said: “to put it differently, starting in July, you’ll receive 70% of the list price for all sales, regardless of whether you monetise your apps up front (paid apps) or downstream (using our In-App Purchasing Service).”