In that case readers will get a competitive performance by both google and the rival company. As it is, Google is the best. |
Why is it bad if Google wants to index all books? |
Because then Amazon won't be able to do it :P |
Google books gives direct links to books in availability at public local libraries. That's a daft assumption. |
I know they -could- but what reason do they have if Google has done it?
In addition, Amazon sells books, Google is giving them away. Amazon don't want this to happen either way. |
“Out of print” is an anachronism, and needs to be made more so.
Like the rotting celluloid tapes in Hollywood vaults we are at a critical crossover point where this stuff either gets scanned, or becomes unavailable to anyone.
At this point anyone who doesn’t like Google’s approach should be challenged to provide a viable alternative.
Microsoft already dipped their toe in the water and then ran home to mommy, Yahoo has done nothing that I recall, and the Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg, etc. are all well meaning projects, but moving at a glacial pace.
Surely no one thinks that Amazon’s motives are pure. So far all they have done was purchase Mobipocket in order to put their efforts to a halt.
I read the linked articles and found mentions of objections, but no details on what the actual objections were. Isn’t the worst that can happen that someone who’s work still has commercial value but it out of print might be made aware of the fact? They are getting nothing now, but could be getting something in the future. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Meanwhile a few people with interests in philanthropy (and the ego boost that goes along with it) are being surpassed by a (gasp) organization with commercial interests.
Sounds like sour grapes to me. |
I do have some concerns myself about a settlement that grants special rights to Google that nobody else has, effectively granting them a legal monopoly over book digitization of copyrighted "orphan works". If Google should remain dominant, it should be by virtue of their superiority at providing "neat stuff", not by a court imposing it by fiat. If courts deem it proper that orphan works should be able to be digitized, this should be done through ground rules that companies other than Google would be able to meet if they chose. |
