The Feature

Google in the middle

Google’s role as the dominant middleman in the digital content business resembles Wal-Mart’s role as the dominant middleman in the consumer products business. Because of the vastness of Wal-Mart’s market share, consumer goods companies have little choice but to sell their wares through the retailing giant, even if the retailing giant squeezes their profit margin to zilch. It’s called leverage: Play by our rules, or die.

Sometimes “voluntary” isn’t really “voluntary.”