Google Print Roundup

Google Print is here, despite legal challenges


Publishers may be fighting to keep their books from being included,
but Google has gone ahead and rebooted the Google Print project, with
material from thousands of books. And, although Google is attempting
to mollify critics by saying that the current initiative is largely
based on public domain works, some quick searches show that many
popular, current works are included. A search for "Harry Potter," for
example, provides over 200 links, most of which are to copyrighted
works. However, J.K. Rowling's books are nowhere to be found in the
list; most are from small presses that have signed agreements with
Google allowing the search engine to scan their books. The top hit is
"Looking for God in Harry Potter," and outlines the hero's
"Christlike journey." Such hits may encourage publishers to take
part; while it's unlikely someone looking for the latest Potter book
will end up buying this instead, mainstream publishers may soon
realize that they're missing an opportunity, and opening up the books
is a small price to pay to gain access to the potential customers
Google might bring to their doors.

http://tinyurl.com/9mfah

Google places ‘U’ books online

Full text of library books in public domain available on website;
lawsuit still looms over Google’s digitization of copyrighted works
By Gabe Nelson, Daily Staff Reporter
November 04, 2005

Google released the full text of more than 10,000 books, thousands of
which came from the University’s libraries, on its Google Print
website yesterday.

The University is part of the Google Print Library Project along with
Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and the New York Public Library, all of
which are providing Google with access to their libraries. Google’s
ultimate goal is to make all of the world’s books readily available
and searchable online.

But the legality of Google’s enterprise is in question because
copyright law protects many of the volumes Google hopes to release
online. The Authors Guild and five publishing houses have sued Google
because it plans to provide limited access to copyrighted books.

The books that went online yesterday had expired copyrights.

(hit link for more)

http://tinyurl.com/9e8gq

Google brought to book over Peter Pan
By Rhys Blakely
"Obviously, we are disappointed that Google has done this. It could
deprive the charity of potential income" - Great Ormond St Children's
Hospital

Google today found itself accused of damaging the fundraising efforts
of a London children's hospital which has relied for more than 75
years on royalities from J M Barrie's Peter Pan.

The Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is angry that
Google's policy of making literature freely available online will hit
the hospital's finances hard, potentially costing it millions of pounds.

(hit link for more)
http://tinyurl.com/dbo9g

Digital book battle widens
Amazon to start 2 programs to give readers Web access to books
Amazon.com became the latest Internet giant to jump into the fight to
bring novels, biographies and textbooks online, announcing two new
programs Thursday that allow the retailer to sell books that can be
read on the Web.

One will allow users to buy online access to any page or chapter of a
book. Another will give users access to entire books online as long
as they also buy the traditional, paper version.

(hit link for more)

http://tinyurl.com/dh6ra