Google is said to be working in two capacities: The "library" project and the "publisher" project. The publisher project is the most controversial, as Google aims to work with publishers to make copyrighted books searchable. The Authors Guild and five major publishers are suing to prevent Google from scanning books without explicit permission.

According to the Google blog:"We think most publishers and authors will choose to participate in the publisher program in order to introduce their work to countless readers around the world. But we know that not everyone agrees, and we want to do our best to respect their views too. So now, any and all copyright holders--both Google Print partners and non-partners--can tell us which books they'd prefer that we not scan if we find them in a library."

Microsoft and Yahoo have announced quite similar plans Of course both companies say they will not infringe upon copyright laws. Amazon also made a recent announcement that it would allow consumers to purchase "online access" to books or to "any page, section, or chapter" of a book. The service, called Amazon Pages, will enable Internet users to "simply and inexpensively purchase and read online just the pages they need" of a book, the online commerce giant is reported to have said. There is also a second program called Amazon Upgrade that will offer full access when traditional text is purchased.

"We see this as a win-win-win situation: good for readers, good for publishers, and good for authors," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is reported as saying. Books whose contents are searchable, said Bezos, are selling in the U.S. and abroad at a rate of 8 percent higher than non-searchable texts.

So, dear readers, how do you feel about this? As a writer and a consumer, I am torn. When I've got my writing hat on, I'd say this is wrong. There must be protection in regard to copyrighted materials. However, when I have my business hat on. I could see myself perusing such sites for niche content needed to create a presentation, do some research, or just do my job a bit more efficiently.

As I was writing this piece I got word that Random House will be offering searchable and downloadable books as well. Do you think this will become a trend or maybe even a search war?

This commentary is insightful. I recommend it to others.