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.