Google seeks aid from Microsoft, Yahoo in library spat

SEARCH OUTFIT Google has subpoenaed documents from both Microsoft and Yahoo in a bid to protect itself from angry book worms.

Writers and publishers united to contend the web firm's plan to put libraries online would infringe their copyrights.

A number of bodies, including the American Authors Guild and publisher McGraw-Hill, banded together to take Google to court.

And filings with the U.S. District Court in New York, show Google asked Yahoo and Microsoft to provide documents it says demonstrate how it has rights over books included in the scheme.

Google's cunning plan provides searchers with bits of books that they can peruse and later buy.

A competing system, the Open Content Alliance, which is favoured by the Authors Guild, seeks explicit permission from copyright holders, for use of their words of wisdom, according to a Silicon Valley report here. µ