The stakes keep rising; the playing field keeps expanding. This is getting like a Supreme Court hearing (which is exactly how it might end up), with friends of both sides filing briefs. Except Google doesn't seem to have many friends in its intention to scan books in libraries without the explicit permission of publishers. The National Consumers League is not suing Google. Instead, it (the oldest consumer advocacy group in the U.S.) has sent a letter (PDF) to House and Senate judiciary commitees asking them to intervene and insist that Google obtain specific permissions for its scanning venture, rather than rely on its current opt-out scheme. The NCL makes the same noises heard by the AAP when it launched its suit: Google's has a good idea, but is going about it all wrong.
1. Does anyone else thing that it's foul for a "consumer" advocacy group to join this discussion on the end of the authors? Preventing Google helps consumers how?
"Google’s has a good idea, but is going about it all wrong." If you're right, can you go about it the wrong way. I'm pretty sure that all Google wants is its day in court. That's good for us too, because everyone else if afraid to stand up to the big content pushers.
Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Nicholas