Seth, I have no argument with your post. But you mention Amazon, and I think a clarification is in order because of this. I've seen too many posts on other forums to the effect that "Amazon is doing it, so why not Google?"

Amazon's "search in the book" is based on first obtaining the permission of the rights holder. That's why it is entirely different than Google's Library Project. On Amazon's website, I grabbed this: "Once you sign the Publisher Participation Agreement and are accepted into the program, you will need to provide us with a physical copy of each book you would like to include in the program. If you are the rights holder (including copyright and marketing and promotional rights) and would like to participate in the Search Inside the Book program, please sign up."

I know you know this, but I just wanted to be sure that no one assumes that Google is competing with Amazon. Rights holders have no quarrel with Amazon's program.

Google, on the other hand, plans to scan copyrighted material without first getting the permission of the rights holder. Their latest move is an extremely minor concession. In fact, I think they did it to "spin" the issue, so that the casual observer thinks that the Big Bad Publishers have hamstrung Poor Little Google, the common man's friend. Yech!