Google Print For Libraries Proves Challenging

Details, details-such is the Achilles' Hell of the visionary temperament. When Google put forth a massive online literary digitization effort, the scholar, the literati, the purist self-educator, the mousey, bucked-toothed, four-eyed little girl in all of us cheered the soon-to-be nearer reach of all those words. But visions, especially the grandiose, face the speed bumps, the hurdles, of real world logic-or worse, lawyers.

WebProWorld Two major associations of publishers have sent letters to Google demanding the cessation of the digitization project that involves scanning the entire text of copyrighted material until all pertinent questions are answered and a collective copyright agreement can be reached. OneFair Use/Fair Dealings, and requests a collective agreement with publishers. Less detailed and more pointed than the AAUP letter, the letter contains some chastising remarks. "We cannot believe that a business which prides itself on its cooperation with publishers could seriously wish to build part of its business on a basis of copyright infringement," wrote Morris. Quick Overview of Google Print for Libraries Announced in December of 2004, Google So What's All The Fuss About? At first glance it would appear that Google has its bases covered here. They cite a precedent ruling, Adam M. Smith, a senior business-product manager for Google said, "We've actually gone out of our way to speak with everyone and have a very open, receptive conversation with [publishers]. We believe we're creating a product that is beneficial to publishers and to libraries -- that by allowing full-text search of the books that we would spur additional interest in books and in using books and in purchasing books in a way that will benefit all people that are interested in publishing generally." If Google is accused and found guilty of copyright infringement, the penalty is a $150,000 fine per infringement. In a digitization effort involving millions of books, that could add up to one big headache.