Amazon to allow Kindle lending

Sunday, 24 October 2010

Amazon has announced two new features for the Kindle - the ability to lend an e-book and making Kindle newspapers and magazines readable on the free Kindle apps.

Kindle books are already available on the free apps as per its Buy Once, Read Everywhere mission but newspapers and magazines were not, so removing the restriction will bring them into line. It will mean Kindle periodicals can always be read even if you don't have your Kindle with you or don't yet own a Kindle. The facility will be available initially "for many newspapers and magazines" on the Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch with Kindle for Android and the other apps being added later.down the road.

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The idea of introducing lending for Kindle may be in response to the fact that the Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader has such a feature. Even so it is good news that helps put e-books on a par with print titles which have the advantage that once you have purchased them you can let as many other people as you want share them.

This, however, is not how e-loaning works. While the headline is that you can loan your Kindle books to other Kindle device or Kindle app users the qualifier is that each book can be lent only once and for a limited loan period of just 14 days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period. Additionally, not all e-books will be lendable. and this is out of Amazon's control as it is the publisher or rights holder who determines which titles are enabled for lending.

First, we are making Kindle newspapers and magazines readable on our free Kindle apps, so you can always read Kindle periodicals even if you don't have your Kindle with you or don't yet own a Kindle. In the coming weeks, many newspapers and magazines will be available on our Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, and then we'll be adding this functionality to Kindle for Android and our other apps down the road. Our vision is Buy Once, Read Everywhere, and we're excited to make this possible for Kindle periodicals in the same way that it works now for Kindle books. More details when we launch this in the coming weeks.

Second, later this year, we will be introducing lending for Kindle, a new feature that lets you loan your Kindle books to other Kindle device or Kindle app users. Each book can be lent once for a loan period of 14-days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period. Additionally, 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.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 24 October 2010 )

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