Google Steals a Page from Amazon's Book Search

[CVX]

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - Google Inc. on Wednesday introduced a new search technology to help publishers sell books online, a fast-growing market dominated by Internet retailer Amazon.com.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will host a press conference on Thursday to demonstrate the technology at the Frankfurt Book Fair, an important showcase if the Internet search engine is to recruit the heavyweights of the book publishing industry.

Since going public in August, Google shares have risen more than 60 percent, fueled in part by speculation the company was planning a new search technology, and possibly a Web browser, as it seeks to diversify its business model.

The service, called Google Print, will be incorporated into Google search queries. From launch, users will see book excerpts alongside ordinary Google Web page search results. The book excerpts will carry a link to buy the book from a choice of online book retailers.

PURSUING AMAZON

Amazon launched a similar, though ad-free, service last month called A9.com that is partly based on Google's search technology. It is also possible to search inside books from Amazon.com.

Analysts were mixed on what impact the service would have on Google's bottom line. Few thought the rival service would hurt sales at the world's biggest online book retailer, Amazon.

Amazon has built a strong reputation around the globe with the book-buying public, one that Google's service will find it difficult to eclipse, analysts noted.

"I don't see this siphoning off a significant amount of Amazon's business," said Jupiter Research analyst Patti Freeman Evans.

Google, however, said it has signed a series of top-flight publishers including Penguin and Scholastic as it aims to expand further into publishing circles.

"We intend to make this available to publishers of all sizes, including those with under 500 books," Susan Wojcicki, Google's director of product management, told Reuters.