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New Google partnership to turn digital books into paperbacks
Amazon.com and Google have engaged in well-publicized battle over Google's giant book scanning project. Now Google is moving further onto Amazon's turf -- announcing a deal to let people print bound copies of some 2 million public domain books that it's digitized. The search giant is teaming with On Demand Books, maker of the Espresso Book Machine, described as an "ATM for books" that can spit out a 300-page paperback in less than five minutes. The machines, which are located in some libraries and bookstores, give Google another outlet to distribute books from its growing digital collection.
"Reading digital books can be an enjoyable experience, but we realize that there are times when readers want a physical copy of a book," Google Books product manager Brandon Badger said in a blog post. The Espresso Book Machines are only in a handful of locations so far, including the Harvard Library, but Google's blessing could boost demand for the contraptions. Retailers will set the price of paperbacks printed by the machine, though On Demand recommends $8. One dollar of each sale will go to On Demand and another dollar to Google, which will donate the proceeds to charity and nonprofits, AP reports.
So far, Google is offering 2 million public domain books for printing, but could expand that number if its proposed legal settlement with author and publisher groups is approved by the court system and regulators. Amazon is opposing that settlement, saying it's anti-competitive and violates antitrust law. The expanding reach of Google's book project -- and Google's plans to allow publishers sell new books through its search engine -- represent a growing threat to Amazon. Amazon also has its own print-on-demand service, BookSurge, which it's been seeking to expand through deals with universities and others.
Here's a Google video of the Espresso Book Machine in action:
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