Google & Random House Publishing is a Compromise Coming….

Random House, the world’s biggest book publisher, is considering joining a book-search project run by Google, once considered an archenemy by the paper publishing industry. The two parties are talking to one another about the less controversial part of Google’s book-scanning project–its partner program–sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters at this week’s Frankfurt Book Fair.

Google has agreements with more than 10,000 publishers, large and small, who give their books to Google to be scanned in full. Google then makes them partially available–according to agreements with each publisher–for online readers.

It also works with 27 academic and reference library partners to gain access to out-of-print works.

But part of the library project has proved controversial and thrown Google into legal dispute with U.S. publishers as Google also scans works from its U.S. library partners that are still in copyright without asking the publishers first.

Read More at ZDNET

Dean Koontz and other Authors heading to SecondLife to promote their BOOKS and meet interested avatar’s – itSreal

It looks like the Electric Sheep Company are getting ready to bring authors from Random House’s Bantam Dell imprint to the virtual world of Second Life.

Check out Sheep Island, where a Bantam Dell building just outside Sheep Tower.

The inside is all set up for what looks like a reading or Q&A, the featured author being best-selling thriller writer Dean Koontz. While this could just be a test build, the Bantam Dell logo is slapped all over everything, and the place looks ready for a bunch of literary-minded avatars to show up and pelt Koontz with questions.

There’s also a movie screen in one corner running promos for Bantam Dell authors, including one for Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence, The New Science of Human Relationships. But no word yet on when events might actually start up there. This is a great way to bring books into Second Life. Actually reading things in Second Life is incredibly frustrating and not at all worth the effort, but bringing authors in to do talks, interviews or Q&As could be perfect.