Google's digital library? Or one click bookshop?

12 February 2010

A hearing set to take place on February 18th will decide whether to accept a $125 million settlement which will give it Google the freedom to distribute digital books. Following in the footsteps of the Alexandrians, Google's aim is to create the largest virtual library in the world. However it faces opposition from an alliance of objectors which include book market giants Amazon, who see the move as allowing Google to have a monopoly position.

The lawsuit under scrutiny goes back to 2005, when the author's guild challenged Google for unlawfully scanning and making digital copies of books and agreed to compensation. The justice department is challenging the settlement that is being proposed on the basis that it would give Google the ability to distribute books electronically, without infringement of copyright laws and is anti-competitive.

Google say that the ruling will allow an open library system that will not affect the revenue received by authors. The $125 million will settle outstanding claims and allow a registry to be set up to identify the rights holders for any books which Google make digital copies. Google stakes out its position on the basis that it is good deal for the general public. However what cannot be ignored is the enormous revenue generation that will see Google as the main distributer of digital books, which it intends to do on a revenue share basis. The hearing will take place in New York next week.