Here’s an interesting Reuters article (found via Slashdot) on the effects of Google and Amazon’s efforts to scan and post books online (either as excerpts or full text).
Of course I’m no expert on the legal implications, but I’m glad to see some confirmation at such an official level of what I’ve felt to be true. I’ve bought books (or at least gotten them from the library) a number of times after reading either Amazon samples or chapters posted on authors’ websites. Back in the heyday of the original Napster, I bought albums after sampling a band’s songs for free on more than one occasion. After Harvey Danger posted their most recent album online for free, I went out and bought a couple of their older ones.
But the article is especially interesting given all the early complaints publishers had about Google’s book scanning project.