Amazon opens Kindle book store to other merchants

(AP) -- Amazon.com is giving other merchants a chance to sell selections from its electronic book store and earn a commission.

The maker of the popular Kindle reading device announced the partnership program Tuesday as it unveiled a new application designed for a Web store run by Google Inc. The app is scheduled to debut early next year.

Amazon.com Inc. is borrowing a page from the e-book store that Google opened Monday. Google is giving a cut of its sales to more than 100 independent book merchants that have signed up to sell titles from its store.

The Internet alliances could help more brick-and-mortar book stores remain open.

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