Microsoft on Wednesday launched its Live Search Books service, under which books will be digitally scanned and indexed for search, and the offering will compete with a similar—and controversial—service from Google, the IDG News Service reports via PCWorld.com. A beta version of the service was made available yesterday, and Live Search Books enables users to search the full text of scanned books, according to the IDG News Service.Google’s similar book-scan initiative and search service has come under fire from critics, publishers and authors who claim the search giant scanned and made publicly available a number of books without receiving the appropriate approval. In 2005, Google was hit with copyright-infringement suits related to the book-scan project by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Authors Guild, the IDG News Service reports.Both Microsoft and Yahoo also participate in another book-scan project dubbed the Open Content Alliance, which secures permission from the appropriate parties for whatever content it scans. To help defend itself against the copyright suits filed against it, Google recently asked a handful of firms, including Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon.com, for information on their participation in the book-scan program; however, both Amazon and Yahoo refused to turn over any related data. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said it will not scan any books for the Live Search Books service without the proper permission, according to the IDG News Service. It is already teaming with such groups as the University of California, University of Toronto, the library at Cornell University, the New York Public Library, the American Museum of Veterinary Medicine and the British Library, a Live Search representative told the IDG News Service. The firm is also in talks with a selection of book publishers regarding the digital scanning of their material, according to the IDG News Service. Live Search Books, which will at first be available only to U.S. Web surfers in English, will eventually be combined with Microsoft’s Live search service so content from books will show up alongside normal Web search results, the IDG News Service reports.Related Links: Yahoo Deals Google a Blow in Book-Scan Case Google Wants Microsoft, Yahoo Data to Defend Book-Scan Initiative Google, UC Ink Pact to Digitize Books Microsoft Adds 3-D Maps to Search ServiceCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe