The Battle for the Digital Domain

Google was sued by five top publishers today as it prepares to scan copyrighted works for inclusion in its indices. Google says this is squarely within the 'fair use' exclusion of copyright — allowing limited quotation — while the publishers see this as a violation of their ownership of the content.

The fact that Amazon has books bearing entire chapters, and the concomitant sales they generate, has all to do with both Google's desire for the content, and the publishers' desire to keep Google from getting referral revenue.

Content is the next killer app. The coming years will focus on digital rights and the milieu in which they are used. Microsoft is buying up art collections. Google is snagging public domain literature. Apple, as I pointed out below, is creating products around content, then turning around to create more sales for both Apple and the content owners.