• The Next Web, Monday, September 12, 2011 12:59 PM

Amazon is reportedly close to launching a book rental service, which would charge a fixed monthly fee for access to its vast library. First reported by The Wall Street Journal (behind a paywall), word is that Amazon is ready to offer book publishers a considerable fee for their involvement in the program.

"The idea isn't entirely new with services like 'the library', booksfree.com and bookswim existing for some time," notes The Next Web. "But both are currently primarily for offline paperbacks and hardbacks." More to the point, "With Amazon's Kindle platform and intimate relationships with every premium publisher on the planet, this is a unique new space only the likes of Amazon and Apple are likely to be able to cater to," The Next Web adds.

Still, Amazon's success isn't certain in any field. In February, the company launched a subscription video-streaming service as part of Amazon Prime. While industry watchers remain bullish on its prospects, the service has yet to reshape the streaming business to the degree some predicted.

Read the whole story at The Next Web »