Google got sued for scanning books. They reached a settlement with the association of publishers, or NAMBLA. But it turns out there's a lot of problems with giving one organization, even one that's not "evil", the power to control all books online.
For example, Google has decided not to make available any "inappropriate" books. Who decides what's inappropriate? Google.
That could be ok, if others could have access to those books and make them available. But only Google is allowed to have access to out-of-print books. Specifically, the Internet Archive has been banned from participating in the agreement that Google has obtained from the publishers.
This is not a good thing. Google does have as its mission to make information accessible to all. But concentration of power in any one center is a bad, bad plan.
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