[IP] Google Suspends Scanning Copyrighted Works -- For Now

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>
Date: August 12, 2005 3:29:09 PM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: lauren@vortex.com
Subject: Google Suspends Scanning Copyrighted Works -- For Now



Dave,

I have previously been highly critical of Google's massive new
book-scanning project (in cooperation with various university
libraries), primarily due to its including copyrighted works without
permission being obtained from or compensation being paid to the
copyright holders.  Google would obviously derive immense value
from such a database, irrespective of if, when, or how they
chose to make the materials available publicly.

Now comes word that Google has suspended the scanning of copyrighted
works for a few months:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Google-Library- 
Copyrights.html

However, demonstrating that Google still doesn't really "get it," the
article notes that:

   Google wants publishers to notify the company which copyrighted
   books they don't want scanned, effectively requiring the industry
   to opt out of the program instead of opting in.  ...  ''Google's
   procedure shifts the responsibility for preventing infringement
   to the copyright owner rather than the user, turning every
   principle of copyright law on its ear.'' ...

I'm all in favor of reasonable copyright laws that don't extend
copyrights so far into the future that important works are kept out
of the public domain seemingly forever, but Google's project, as
relates to copyrighted works, definitely has been beyond the pale.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com or lauren@eepi.org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, EEPI
  - Electronic Entertainment Policy Initiative - http://www.eepi.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com



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