Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

As I was waiting for a meeting yesterday, I saw CNN reporting on the issue of libraries and scanning. Some well known research libraries are turning down Microsoft and Google’s offers to scan the contents of the libraries for free. Of course, nothing is really free, and the libraries do not want to bind themselves to the terms of Google and Microsoft’s “free deal”. If a library or organization commits to Google or Microsoft, it agrees that it will not make the scanned material available to any other commercial search service.

Boston Public Library and the Smithsonian Institution have signed with Open Content Alliance, a non profit, that will scan and make the information available to any search service. The Times says that this signals “that many in the academic and nonprofit world are intent on pursuing a vision of the Web as a global repository of knowledge that is free of business interests or restrictions.” I love the idea of the Web as a “global repository of knowledge.”

Via New York Times and CNN.

IIL Publishing, a niche publisher who puts out books on project management, is partnering with Google and Microsoft to make its books browsable on the ‘net through Google Book Search and MS Live Search. Publisher Judith Umlas was quoted as saying the reason for the digital move was “to be both innovative and customer-friendly.” It would really be customer-friendly if you could download a book in conjunction with the print copy. Just saying.

Via PRN.

In an effort to suppress technological innovation, Microsoft decides to cozy up to the Association of American Publishers by accusing Google of consistently violating the copyright law with its Google Book Search. Conveniently, the comments can be read in their entirety at Microsoft’s website. Microsoft asserts it understands and shares concerns regarding the troubling nature of Google’s project as author of copyrighted . While it’s messenger, Thomas C. Rubin, Microsoft’s Associate General Counsel for Copyright, Trademark, and Trade Secrets, doesn’t know the answer, he urges consideration of three principles:

Expanded online access should be encouraged
Reject business models based on systematic infringement of copyrights (ie. Google)
Find consumer friendly and cost effective solutions

Miscrosoft is currently only digitizing public domain and out of copyright works. It’s recent salvo is nothing new. Microsoft, as part of the Open Content Alliance, has critisized Google before. It’s just more public. Microsoft’s statements received industry criticism from

Don Dodge, director of business development for Microsoft’s Emerging Business Team, calling Microsoft’s pandering to the AAP as “dumb.”
Ed Black, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (both Google and Microsoft belong), saying that Microsoft’s own practices are built around …