Amazon to introduce Kindle ebook sharing

Amazon.com will introduce lending for Kindle, a new feature enabling consumers to share their ebook purchases with other Kindle device and application users. Scheduled to roll out by the end of 2010, the new lending service enables Kindle users to loan out a book for one 14-day period, during which time the lender cannot read the title. "Not all e-books will be lendable--this is solely up to the publisher or rights holder, who determines which titles are enabled for lending," reads an Amazon Kindle team post on the Kindle Community forum.

Amazon also will make Kindle newspapers and magazines readable across its free Kindle applications, enabling consumers to enjoy periodicals without direct access to the Kindle ereader device. Amazon will initially introduce the functionality on its iPad, iPhone and iPod touch apps, followed by Android.

Amazon first introduced Kindle in 2007--the ereader device is now its bestselling, most gifted and most wished for product. The Kindle ebookstore offers over 700,000 titles, including new releases and the vast majority of current New York Times bestsellers, most priced at $9.99 or less. In July 2010, Amazon said it now sells 143 Kindle ebooks for every 100 hardcover books, including hardcover titles for which there is no corresponding Kindle edition.

For more on lending for Kindle:
- read this Kindle Community forum discussion

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