Novelist and former CEO, Tom Evslin endeavored to write a review of John Battelle’s book, The Search.
John Battelle is a strong supporter of having most everything searchable. Therefore, Evslin was surprised to see this disclaimer at the start of the book:
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Naturally, Battelle opposes this draconian measure from Penguin, his publisher. Penguin is part of the Association of American Publishers law suit against Google Book Search.
Expressing his frustration with Penguin, Battelle told Evslin, “They’re afraid of the future. Afraid of what they don’t know…. It’s very irritating to me.”