LONDON - Software giant Microsoft is fast snapping at the heels of rival Google Inc. Just days after announcing that it would partner rival Yahoo Inc in the Open Content Alliance (OCA), set up by the Internet Archive, the Redmond, Washington-based Company has announced a deal to scan books from the British Library.
It is estimated that about 100,000 books would be scanned and put online by the software behemoth. "This is great news for research and scholarship and will give unparalleled access to our vast collections to people all over the world: they will be available to anyone, anywhere and at anytime," said British Library chief executive Lynne Brindley.
Unlike Google, which is facing strong opposition from the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild over copyright concerns, Microsoft aims to tie-up alliances where similar concerns can be adequately assuaged. Alistair Baker, managing director of Microsoft in EMEA struck the right note when he said that the step to digitize the British Library was just the first one in what is to be a long journey, "This deal will add to the level of content and value of the MSN portal.
The enormous technical challenges in terms of indexing and digital rights management will have to be very carefully thought through and we think we have a huge advantage there," he said. Richard Boulderstone, director of e-strategy at the British Library said that the institution was prepared to work with anyone interested in putting all its books online and that there was no preference to Redmond. Microsoft intends to invest $2.5 million in this venture initially. This is in addition to the $1.5 million already committed to the OCA.
Posted
on : Sat, 05 Nov 2005 06:45 GMT | Business News
By : Pippa Fielding
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