The online library - really the shape of things to come?

Thanks to the ABC for an excellent overview of the new court action raised in the US by major publishers (to join that previously raised by the Author's Guild) in respect of the proposed Google Online Library.

Google propose indexing, and ultimately scanning (with copyright owners' permission - although possibly on the basis of an opt out only), the contents of major libraries, to provide a searchable resource. As the battlelines form, there is certainly scope for clarification of the application of exceptions to copyright infringement such as the public interest, fair use and research, and also the relevance of rights to information and education, and to share in cultural and scientific advancement. I'll be very interested to see how this develops.