As long as it remains free I think Google Books is a great force for good. Hopefully this will continue to be the case considering Google’s mantra about doing no evil (was the China debate ever settled?). I read with interest how Google has made peace with the publishers, and as far as I can see, it has been a thumping victory for the laws of copyright. Thank God for that! I know the naughty boys and girls of the internet find copyright the most annoying legal right in the history of annoying legal rights. But ultimately if the creative types don't get paid for each copy that is made of their work, then they just won't bother anymore. There is more than enough out of copyright and copyright free material to still make this a wonderful resource.
As a history tragic Google Books gives me access to unbelievable material. I only wish I had the time to explore it properly. I know we have noble sites free of the commercial taint, such as Project Gutenberg. However they are never going to be able to match the resources of a profit making venture like Google. Let’s just hope that Google is happy is settle for its advertising and promotional revenue, and the subscription word is never uttered across the boardroom table.
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