Fortune Group Buys Industry Standard Subscriber File

The Industry Standard’s subscriber file has been purchased by the Fortune Magazine Group at Time Inc.

The Fortune group paid $500,000 for the list of 100,000 paid subscribers to the weekly publication that focused on the Web. The Standard’s subscribers are expected to strengthen the Fortune group’s guaranteed audience of 550,000 to its Business 2.0, technology business monthly, according to the New York Daily News.

The Industry Standard filed for bankruptcy protection last month after suffering from the downturn in Internet advertising.

Time Inc., the parent company of Fortune, purchased Business 2.0 in June and merged its with eCompany Now, a monthly launched last year. Its name was retired in the merger, the report said.

The Standard also has about 100,000 non-paying or controlled circulation subscribers. That list, the Web site, www.thestandard.com and various trademarks were purchased for $900,000 at the bankruptcy auction by International Data Group, the majority owner of the Standard.