The application, which runs on iPhone and Android devices, uses image recognition technology. It was initially launched in Switzerland in 2010, with the second rollout this week (1 November) adding titles from the UK, US and Canada.

Kooaba founder and chief executive Herbert Bay said that he aimed to be able to connect to more than 2,000 printed newspapers in 95 countries by the end of the year.

He said: "Paperboy can become a valuable tool for publishers in their fight to stay competitive in the face of the digital competition from online or social media.

"As the so-called digital natives come of age and more and more consumers turn to the internet as their primary source for news and information, the publishing industry needs to find ways to keep subscribers and attract new readers. Paperboy can help bridge that gap between print and online, substantially expanding and enhancing the reading experience."

When a photo of an article is taken on a smartphone camera, Paperboy matches the photo to the images in Kooaba's library of printed media or identifies the page from Newspaper Direct's inventory of over 2,000 digital newspaper replicas.

Users can then share, email or archive the electronic version and explore related information such as videos or additional images.

Among the international titles such as the New York Post and LA Times, UK titles included on the scheme include The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Belfast Telegraph, Blackpool Gazette, Lancashire Evening Post, Evening Standard and Weekend.