the money wasn't the driving force behind arrangement the deal, Amazon certainly didn't mind putting more cash in its coffers. "It never hurts to have an extra $100 million."
AOL TW has agreed to hold the shares for two years unless the companies terminate their agreement, according to the SEC filing. AOL TW also has agreed that it will not try to acquire more than 5 percent of Amazon's stock, nor would it "seek to commence a merger, asset sale, or other change of control transaction affecting [Amazon]," according to the filing.
The deal represents a new direction for the relationship between the two companies. AOL will be integrating Amazon's customer-friendly shopping tools, such as its reviews of products, its personal wish lists and its product ratings. "Amazon.com provides one of the best user experiences for shopping in the online world," said Barry Schuler, chairman and CEO of the AOL services unit.
Miguel Helft and Susan Orenstein contributed to this story.
