Google: we're not evil and we're no monopoly, either , by Omar El Akkad, Globe and Mail (Oct 17)
Google's motto is "Don't do evil", but many worry that it will do just that if it is allowed to pursue its plans for digitizing books.
"Opponents maintain that it would give the Web giant a monopolistic stranglehold on the digital book market. Google, by contrast, is framing it as a vision of public service, shaped not by the potential for profit, but by all those cross-country book-shopping trips."
The fear that Google will have an unfair advantage affects its operations in nearly every sphere of activity. Aware of this, Google presents several arguments that it does not impede competition - and might even be promoting it, and that it does not lock users into its services.
It's going to be a long road.
Posted by Gwen at October 18, 2009 02:49 PM