Titan Watch

Last Friday, Jon Udell was wondering about Google's plans on the full text book search front. ("Clash of the titans: Amazon vs. Google") Yesterday, Publishers Weekly ran "The Amazoning of Google? Search Firm Looks for Book Content" [via TVC Alert]:

[ ] Amazon's desire to enhance its search tool could up the stakes for everyone. By awakening the sleeping copy in books, Amazon might finally be drawing the publishing industry into the same arena of other print media, which long gave up trying to shield itself from the Web, in turn creating a wealth of book content online—and plenty of disagreement among publishers and authors.

Resistance Is Futile?

C.E. Petit has a lengthy post today on Amazon's Search Inside the Book, and why it has angered him and some of his clients. Bottom line, according to C.E.: "[T]his should have been done on an opt-in basis, not an opt-out basis." (From what I can tell, C.E. is jumping the gun thinking Amazon may have pulled the service; all the searches I ran over the weekend continue to include the Search Inside results.)

Also examining Search Inside, Jon Udell describes how the service adds value for the book owner—"Now the physical book I bought from Amazon is more valuable to me. Its printed index has been augmented by a vastly more capable online index."—while recognizing it's not hard to see how the technology could foster abuse. Jon's musings about whether and how such local search services will federate are quite fascinating too.

Under The Influence

While I can't link you to the Daily Journal's sixth annual list of California's 100 most influential lawyers, I can at least congratulate several esteemed jurists,

• Janice Rogers Brown


• Ronald M. George


• Alex Kozinski


• Carlos R. Moreno


• Dorothy W. Nelson


• Stephen R. Reinhardt

and academics,

• Erwin Chemerinsky


• Joseph A. Grundfest


• Larry Lessig


• Pamela Samuelson


• Joseph L. Sax


• Kathleen M. Sullivan

one favorite securities law instructor (who I understand has quite a little law practice on the side),

• Larry Sonsini

one prior co-counsel,

• Tom Malcolm

and one prior opposing counsel, in the same case,

• John Keker

for the well-deserved recognition they have received.

According to the DJ, this list is selected by vote of the California legal community. Oh, and Judge Kozinski knows poultry:

The judge, known for penning New Yorker magazine pieces and distinctive 9th Circuit opinions, raises six or seven chickens in his Palos Verdes Peninsula backyard. (Reportedly, he has enough land to keep the chickens happy and his neighbors on the hill from tarring and feathering him.) Kozinski's breeds include black giant, longhorn, Sebright Bantam, Sulton and two of a rarer breed called Dorkings.

I wonder if the good judge's expertise extends to turkeys? (No cracks, please, about the ones who from time to time address his Court.)

I also wonder if this is the first year the list includes a blawger (I think so), and if how much the ranks will grow by 2004? (My money's on Pam Samuelson.)

Today's New Blawg

Joshua Smith, an intellectual property associate at Wildman Harrold in Illinois with an adorable family, writes UnSecure Privacy. [Via the Blawg Ring] Joshua's blawg is not yet a month old, but already features some excellent and timely posts on computer security, RFID, "SCO v. The World," and privacy in underwear purchases. (Have I mentioned lately that I love the law?)

Listings in the Blawg Ring appear to have crossed the 300 mark over the weekend. Way to go, JCA!

Places I Might Go In November (If I Could Still Fly)

November 3-5, New York, NY: AD:TECH, which will have a bunch of interesting sessions, including John Battelle's on e-communities.

November 7, Vancouver, BC: The Pacific Legal Technology Conference, which will have a bunch of interesting sessions, but nothing at all on e-communities.