Google Books Between the Copyright Rock and the Antitrust Hard Place

As reported here, Google has heroically been trying to negotiate the rights to scan and make available “millions of out-of-print books.” I.e., to solve a problem caused by the state’s copyright law. But the “$125 million agreement between Google and U.S. authors and publishers is being renegotiated,” because “the U.S. government said it seemed the agreement would violate antitrust laws.” In other words, if you try to work around one state-granted monopoly (copyright), they’ll stop you by accusing you of violating state anti-monopoly law. Unbelievable. The state does nothing but destroy.

[Mises post; AM post]