Microsoft and Yahoo scanning books now

[dalek]

Thought I would resurrect this thread.

Microsoft has joined a Yahoo-backed effort to digitise the world's books and other works to make them searchable and accessible to anyone online.

The software giant said it would work with the Open Content Alliance (OCA), set up by the Internet Archive, to initially put 150,000 works online.

The move comes as Google faces growing legal pressure from publishers over its own global digital library plans.

Microsoft said it would initially focus on works already in the public domain.

This way, it hopes to avoid similar legal issues over copyright.

Google said in a statement that it welcomed the move to make more information accessible to anyone online.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4377984.stm

Notice how MS sidestepped the legal issues.

[Evil Moo]

I wouldn't say Yahoo & MS "side-stepped" so much as I'd say "didn't break the law" or infringe on personal property like Google. They'll need to scan books to stay competitive, and this is a way to do it legally and ethically. While it is wise to learn from your own mistakes, it's wiser to learn from the mistakes of others.

[dalek]

Originally posted here by Evil Moo
I wouldn't say Yahoo & MS "side-stepped" so much as I'd say "didn't break the law" or infringe on personal property like Google. They'll need to scan books to stay competitive, and this is a way to do it legally and ethically. While it is wise to learn from your own mistakes, it's wiser to learn from the mistakes of others.

This way, it hopes to avoid similar legal issues over copyright.

sidestep

verb

To avoid fulfilling or answering completely: dodge, duck, evade, hedge, skirt

http://www.answers.com/to%20sidestep

[Evil Moo]

lol, the classic dictionary citation. I guess I had that one comming, haha. It's just the context it was used in (with the rolling eyes smiley) made it seem like a shot at "the evil overlord" that is M$; my mistake. Peace.

[rcgreen]

I remember back about 1980, I had a buddy who had a home built Heathkit
computer and a 300 bps modem. We were discussing the brave new world
of technology, and that, soon all of the world's libraries would be accessible
on your home computer.

Now, 25 years and several generations of technology later, this hope is still
lagging behind. I can browse all the world's Pr0n, but a simple search
for the works of a popular author only takes you to Amazon.com.

Come on, folks! This was supposed to be the information age, not the
advertising age! Glad to see that, finally, at least the stuff in the public domain
will be available online.