Amazon in talks to launch digital book library

Amazon.com Inc is in talks with book publishers about launching a media library service similar to Netflix for tablets and other digital books, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Under the proposal for a digital media library, customers would pay an annual fee to access a library of content, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

It is unclear how much traction the talks have received.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant, which makes the popular Kindle electronic reader, is also expected to release a tablet to rival Apple's iPad in coming weeks.

Several unnamed publishing executives said they were not enthusiastic about the idea because it could lower the value of books and could strain their relationships with other retailers that sell their books.

An Amazon spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Nadia Damouni; Editing by Leslie Adler)