GOOGLE makes BOOK Deal
By Tom Teicholz at 29 October, 2008, 10:50 am
Several years ago, Google began a controlversial program of scanning or digitizing books. They began by doing so with public domain books, and then library collections.
They were sued by indiividual authors, publishing companies and the Author’s Guild. Google for their part insisted that they were hewing to their credo of “Do No Harm” — and the more cynical among us believed that given Google’s riches a compromise would be reached.
Yesterday Google announced a settlement of the lawsuit which is not only a function of their wealth and strength in the marketplace but also a validation of their credo. They have in face done something very good for the book business and for readers.
In essence Google has crafted an arrangement which one might compare to the British library royalty arrangements (authors received a royalty on books of their taken out of the library) and much akin to the ASCAP arrangement that allows performers and songwriters to be paid on music aired on radio.
An added benefit is that it will craft a system for vast collections of books that are no longer in print to be made available online — google will allow 20% to be seen online and anymore to be purchased, with a system in place to compensate authros and publishers — and oh yes, Google will be taking a fee as well
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