Google Inc. said it plans to launch a program that will let publishers sell digital versions of their books directly to consumers, a step that would thrust the Internet search giant into competition with e-commerce leader Amazon.com Inc.
Google is already way behind the curve in this market. The strategy may still will work for them if they bundle e-reader software with the Android OS. A possible anti-trust issue? Sure. But they probably can get away with this. Nevertheless, I am willing to bet that five years from now Amazon will emerge as a winner in this content distribution market. It is core to Amazon's business, and they will fight Google tooth and nail.
