The Amazon Kindle could be set to get an ebook subscription service, with a number of book publishers in talks with the etailer.
This is according to the Wall Street Journal, which is quoting "people familiar with the matter" who have hinted that some sort of library system is in the offing.
The idea of a rental system for an ereader is not new. Sony already has a library initiative in place.
This is with libraries in the UK, where users of its Reader device can rent out titles, with a limited about of digital copies of each book available.
Library titles
Amazon's version will be offered to Amazon Prime members in the US at first – who already pay out for a digital library – and will consist of a limited number of free ebook downloads per month.
There's no word on when the service will be available but it is raising concerns within the publishing industry, with one unnamed exec saying about the potential service: "what it would do is downgrade the value of the book business."
If Amazon was to release ebook rentals, it would add to an eco-system that's primed for the eventual launch of the Amazon Kindle tablet.
It's very probable that Amazon is looking into creating a rentable library of content, so we are marking this rumour as Quite Likely.
Via WSJ
