BookLocker, one of many print-on-demand (POD) publishers who are threatened by Amazon's move to vertically integrate POD with online sales by priveleging authors who publish with Amazon subsidiary BookSurge, has brought a lawsuit against the Web retailing giant in the United States District Court of Maine. According to the allegations, Amazon and BookSurge have done everything in their power to keep this under the radar — by notifying publishers and authors over the phone instead of in writing, and demanding confidentiality agreements in the proposed contracts. But the case really hinges on the power of the "Buy now with 1-Click™" button. Why should you care?

We don't post people's "viral" ads upon request, as a policy — if you want promotion, buy a banner ad, dammit — but there are exceptions, especially if the ad is too hideous to work. For example, if an otherwise boring video ends with a van slamming into a man and severing his legs, leaving his guts spilling out on the street.