So, Phillip, did you ever get word back from Lessig on the back-end argument, as it relates to Google book search? Remember, the whole thing about Google scanning, storing, and (multiple time) reusing intellectual property that doesn't belong to it? (This was a different issue than the front-end fair use argument of snippeting.)

I guess you refer to your "Is there any difference between an automatic index and a manual index?", though after this http://blogoscoped.com/forum/38528.html#id40923 I didn't ask Mr: Lessig a follow-up question.

PS: Maybe you can contact him directly for a conversation and share pieces he allows to share here?

Yes, that's exactly your previous post that I am referring to.

In that post, Lessig states: "If you use it to read the book, or to keep as a reference ot go back and read the book whenever you want, then that's not a fair use." And so it seems to me that this is exactly what Google is doing. On the backend, it not only scans and stores, but then it goes back and reuses the stored information over and over and over again.

So the disconnect here is that (I think) Lessig supports Google in the whole book search arena. But by Lessig's very own words, Google is doing something that is not fair use.

So I thought that at some point you were going to contact him again, and see if there is a resolution to this apparent contradiction. That follow up is what I was asking about.

I think I'll take your advice and contact him directly at some point.. I actually meant to go to one of his seminars a month or two ago, but couldn't make it. I think I might try again. I'll let you know if I learn anything.