Google faces off with tech giants over book deal

Three of Google's largest rivals are joining a coalition to oppose a legal settlement that would give the internet search leader digital rights to millions of copyrighted books.

Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon.com are all part of a group being called the Open Book Alliance. It's being put together by the Internet Archive, a long-time critic of Google's digital book crusade.

Peter Brantley, an Internet Archive executive, disclosed the plans to forge the alliance in an interview yesterday.

Google contends its rivals' objections are rooted in a fear of more competition in the digital book market.

The class-action settlement that would expand Google's digital library is scheduled to be reviewed in an Oct. 7 court hearing.