Amazon has announced a new program that will provide Kindle owners digital copies of books they already own. Kindle MatchBook will allow Amazon customers to get an ebook version of physical versions bought through the retailer in the past, with titles either being offered at no charge or for between $0.99 and $2.99 each.
Just as how Amazon offered MP3 versions of albums bought in the past when it launched AutoRip for music, Kindle MatchBook will work for books bought as early as 1995. While over 10,000 books will be added to MatchBook in October, including bestsellers such as Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, publishers will be able to add their titles to the list, and can set their price accordingly.
The bundling of printed and digital books is apparently one of the most requested features from customers to Amazon, with the offering of cheap and free ebooks to customers likely to help convert some of the more skeptical readers over to the Kindle devices.
Though Kindle MatchBook will launch in the US, there is no word if it will be heading to other markets, though considering it took six months for AutoRip to reach Europe, it will probably do the same.
