Technology Report.Amazon.com launchedits Kindle library-lending servicein the United States last week.Millions of usersof the Kindle readerand app can now borrow Kindle booksfrom their local public library.The company is working with OverDrive,a leading supplier of e-booksand other digital contentto libraries.The service will be availablethrough the websitesof more than eleven thousandlocal libraries across the country.Users of other devicesincluding the Barnes and Noble Nookand Sony Reader have alreadybeen able to borrow library books.Experts say Amazon's entryis likely to reopen a debatebetween publishers and librariesover e-book lending.Bill Rosenblatt is presidentof Giant Steps Media TechnologyStrategies, a consulting company.BILL ROSENBLATT: "Publishersand libraries are enemiesthat occur in naturelike snakes and monkeys.Libraries would like to be ableto make books available to everyone,all the time, with no limitations.And publishers, of course,would like to sellmore books to the public."Mr. Rosenblatt saysthe debate in the United Statescenters on what is knownas the law of first sale.BILL ROSENBLATT: "Once you buyany kind of media productsuch as a book or a CD or a DVDor anything like that,you can dowhatever you want with it.You can read it,you can give it away,you can lend it,you can resell it,you can burn it,you can use it as a Frisbee-- whatever you want.This law is referred to as 'first sale.'"This law is what permitslibraries to lend booksover and over againwithout havingto pay publishers each time.But Bill Rosenblatt points outthat it does notinclude digital products.Technology knownas digital rights managementcan make e-books unreadableonce they have reacheda certain time or user limit.BILL ROSENBLATT: "Several months ago,one of the major publishers,Harper Collins, which isa division of News Corp,announced that they wereonly going to allow e-booksto be lent out twenty-six times,and then they would haveto be purchasedby the libraries again.Apart from HarperCollins,publishers are allowing librariesto purchase e-booksfor lending in perpetuity,meaning as many timesas anyone wants to borrow them."HarperCollins saysit took the action to protectthe growing e-book industryand its own book sales.But Bill Rosenblatt sayscritics did not see it that way.BILL ROSENBLATT: "Becausea digital book lasts forever,as long as it's stored somewherein digital form,that it should be lendable forever,and that this businessof restricting e-book lendingto twenty-six timesis sort of an unfair,artificial limitationHe says the debateover e-book lendingwill likely end up in court.And that's the VOA Special EnglishTechnology Report,written by June Simms.