| STEPHEN King is one of the few authors
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| | against Google's idea of scanning books
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| who tried to jump onto the Internet
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| | digitally. Big publishers are suing.
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| bandwagon. He sold one of his latest
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| | Recently, the Association of American
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| novels in "batches" – readers had
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| | Publishers filed a complaint in the New
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| to pay to read them. But "e-books" are
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| | York District Court. They believe Google
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| still in a state of infancy. Publishing
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| | is infringing copyright laws. The move
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| buzz about "digitised books" has yet to
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| | was initiated by the Big Five in book
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| catch fire. Stephen King, like many
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| | publishing – McGraw Hill, Pearson
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| others, gave up.
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| | Group, Penguin, Simon & Schuster and
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| But that does not mean "e-books" are
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| | John Wiley and Sons.
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| dead. In fact, if you are a believer in
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| | Google's idea is to scan books from major
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| the ICT revolution, it is going to be the
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| | libraries. Using one of Google's
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| "in-thing" in the near future. E-books
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| | services, you and I can now look for
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| will change the face of modern
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| | certain relevant passages, facts and
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| publishing. Look at the writing on the
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| | quotations in the digitised version of
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| wall. The Internet is changing the way we
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| | the books. It saves you the trouble of
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| communicate, work, interact and shop. And
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| | looking up Shakespeare or T.S. Eliot in
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| the onslaught is only beginning.
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| | your library in case you need a quote.
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| In the US alone, there are 203 million
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| | Google's defence has been the concept of
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| Internet users and China registers 103
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| | "fair use" – a legal doctrine
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| million more. That is merely the tip of
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| | allowing copyrighted materials to be used
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| the iceberg.
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| | for purposes of learning and research.
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| In fact, the Internet is changing
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| | Google, apparently, has other ideas
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| newspapers as well. The 400-year-old
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| | – it is developing the Google Print
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| industry has no choice but to make
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| | Library Project which will scan millions
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| adjustments. Every major newspaper is
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| | of books in the libraries of some of the
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| moving trying to take advantage of online
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| | most renowned universities in the US.
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| space. Or could it be that they have got
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| | Little wonder that even the US Authors
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| panicky in reacting to the threat of
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| | Guild is hostile.
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| online possibilities? And remember,
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| | The legal battle will make us look again
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| advertisers, too, are attracted to the
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| | at copyright laws as we understand them,
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| Internet. Television will have to compete
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| | and ask if they are obsolete and demand
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| with it for advertisement revenue.
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| | due attention in line with the Internet
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| Last year, Internet advertising in the US
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| | revolution. Who will eventually benefit
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| alone registered RM38 billion, perhaps a
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| | from the outcome? The public at large,
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| fraction of total advertisement
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| | Google argues. The publishers and writers
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| expenditure, but growing significantly.
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| | beg to differ.
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| The book industry, too, is panicking.
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| | Its detractors argue that Google acted in
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| Let's look at what the Big Three in the
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| | its own economic self-interest. After
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| Internet Kingdom are doing –
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| | all, this is a company with a market
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| Amazon.com, and e-Bay. Amazon celebrates
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| | capitalisation of RM380 billion. It
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| its 10th anniversary this year.
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| | started with a simple idea – to
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| Currently, it has 49 million active users
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| | make a cyber- space search easier.
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| and last year it registered RM26.3
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| | Imagine if it could expand the horizon of
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| billion in revenue. E-bay, too, is 10
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| | search to copyrighted book contents.
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| years old. It is currently the biggest
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| | Google is also exploring the possibility
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| online auctioneer.
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| | of "book rental" on the Net. In fact, a
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| It has millions of items on sale, grouped
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| | major publisher is said to support the
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| into more than 40,000 categories or sub-
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| | idea.
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| categories. Last year, 150 million
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| | Basically, consumers rent an online copy,
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| registered users worldwide bought and
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| | say, for a week. Amazon.com, too, is
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| sold goods worth RM155 billion.
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| | looking at another possibility. Its
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| One must not forget Google. It prides
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| | Amazon Pages will offer for sale a page,
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| itself as a "search company" but, lest
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| | a section or a chapter of book to be read
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| you forget, its power is making book
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| | online. In another revolutionary
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| publishers and traders jittery. If Google
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| | approach, Amazon is looking at the
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| and gang are given the right to hawk
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| | possibility of enabling buyers of
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| books on the Internet, why buy books in
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| | traditional books to get access to an
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| their traditional form?
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| | online copy.
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| In fact, publishers are up in arms
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