A debate is heating up over whether Google’s ambitious project to scan and put millions of books online amounts to a fantastic service, or copyright infringement (or both).

As originally reported here back in December, Google has deals to scan millions of books with at least five libraries, including the New York Public Library, as well as university libraries such as those at Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford.

The tension lays between those who believe that having the content of books online can help to boost both interest and sales, and those who are concerned that even if the way Google has set up its project doesn’t amount to copyright infringement per se, it may open the door to more troublesome situations.

Google maintains that its model is protected under the doctrine of fair use, in large part, it seems, because for any book which has a copyright attached, a user may only view…

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