The world’s largest online retailer Amazon is negotiating with book publishers to launch digital book library, access to which users can get by paying the annual subscription, according to The Wall Street Journal referring to informed sources.
Amazon currently sells paper and electronic books, arrange the resale of used books, as well as support the rent of e-textbooks.
According to Amazon, online library will include digitized classics, textbooks, fiction, but there will be no new books, the source of WSJ reported.
A similar service is provided by a content site Netflix at the moment.
The stage of the negotiations with copyright holders on the books is not specified.
Several publishers told WSJ, that they see little prospect of this idea, as its implementation may cause the fall of price of the book, and the sale of publications is more profitable than renting. In addition, the publishers fear the worsening of relations with other retailers.
Recall that Amazon has repeatedly sold electronic editions at great discount prices, and sometimes at a loss for marketing purposes. The retailer has not commented on the information on plans to launch online library.
At the same time, according to sources, Amazon is ready to offer significant compensation to copyright holders for their consent to participate in the program.
In addition, the retailer is going to limit the number of books that Amazon Prime users can read for free monthly.
Amazon’s proposal reflects a trend among retailers to seek new ways to make money on online content, because more and more users prefer to watch videos and read books on computers, tablets, readers and other electronic devices.
The launch of digital library would theoretically become another way to promote Amazon’s reader Kindle, and Tablet PC under its own brand, which is expected to be available in September.
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