Google Books will digitize at least 1 million books that are not covered by copyright...
Google and the Italian Culture Ministry have signed an agreement for the digitization of books held in Italy's two main national libraries, the first such pact between the U.S. company and a national government, the two sides announced Wednesday.
"Google Books will digitize at least 1 million books that are not covered by copyright and that constitute our cultural heritage," Mario Resca, director general for development at the Culture Ministry, said at a press conference in Rome.
Delivering smarter, better products faster---with reduced cost and risk: Download nowWorks by authors such as Dante, Machiavelli, Petrarch, Leopardi and Manzoni, whose ideas helped to forge Western culture, will be included in the project, which will scan public domain books published prior to 1868, before modern copyright law came about.
The non-exclusive agreement would make books available immediately and free of charge to people around the world, both on the Google Internet platform and on platforms controlled by the participating Italian libraries, Resca said.
The project, which begins with the scanning of books held in the national libraries in Rome and Florence, is expected to stimulate interest in Italian culture and a love of reading, Resca said. Google will create a scanning center that will employ around 100 people and the project will result in a saving of some US$100 million for the Italian government, he said.
Nikesh Arora, Google's president for global sales operations and business development, said the project reflected the vision of Google's founders "to organize the world's information and make it available to everyone." The Italian project would help to counter the current Anglo-centric bias of the Internet, Arora added.
Full report here Networkworld.com
Showing posts with label google books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label google books. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Asia in war of words over Google Books
Much has been made already about Google's book digitization project, which aims to scan and digitize almost all books published worldwide, making them searchable online. But as this ambitious yet equally controversial project prepares for a crucial hearing in a United States court on February 18, the global crusade against Google Books is intensifying.
Following stiff opposition from publishers and authors from primarily the Western world, India, too, threw down the gauntlet this month when 15 Indian authors and publishers filed objections with a New York District Court. With this, India became the second - after China - country in Asia to red-pencil the Google Book plan.
However, libraries, copyright holders and countries like the US, France, Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia and even consumers are analyzing the ramifications of this audacious venture. Many are unsure whether Google's promise of a global digital library will really change the face of information access in the world. Or will it be the end of the 150 year-old concept of copyright and intellectual property rights? In 2004, Google began scanning millions of books under copyright protection by reaching an agreement with several universities in the US. Under the initiative, known as the Google Library Project, Google digitized snippets from these books and put them online.
Full report here Asia Times
Following stiff opposition from publishers and authors from primarily the Western world, India, too, threw down the gauntlet this month when 15 Indian authors and publishers filed objections with a New York District Court. With this, India became the second - after China - country in Asia to red-pencil the Google Book plan.
However, libraries, copyright holders and countries like the US, France, Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia and even consumers are analyzing the ramifications of this audacious venture. Many are unsure whether Google's promise of a global digital library will really change the face of information access in the world. Or will it be the end of the 150 year-old concept of copyright and intellectual property rights? In 2004, Google began scanning millions of books under copyright protection by reaching an agreement with several universities in the US. Under the initiative, known as the Google Library Project, Google digitized snippets from these books and put them online.
Full report here Asia Times
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Are books on google good for us?
Santosh Desai holds forth on the latest contoversy in The Financial Express.
The recent court action that a group of 15 Indian authors and publishers have initiated against Google Books raises some interesting issues. The court action is a reflection of the concern felt by a large section of the Indian publishing industry about what they see as a concerted effort by the company to subvert copyright laws in India. In particular, what has caused great consternation is the ‘opt out’ clause, which places the burden of objection on the author. This essentially means that Google Books is free to scan anything it feels like, and unless the author objects, this lack of overt reaction is deemed to be a form of consent, allowing the company to go ahead.
Full text here
The recent court action that a group of 15 Indian authors and publishers have initiated against Google Books raises some interesting issues. The court action is a reflection of the concern felt by a large section of the Indian publishing industry about what they see as a concerted effort by the company to subvert copyright laws in India. In particular, what has caused great consternation is the ‘opt out’ clause, which places the burden of objection on the author. This essentially means that Google Books is free to scan anything it feels like, and unless the author objects, this lack of overt reaction is deemed to be a form of consent, allowing the company to go ahead.
Full text here
Monday, February 1, 2010
Google books deal draws flak
As the deadline for submitting objections to the revised settlement proposed by Google and the book author and publisher groups passed recently, there seems to be no resolution to the matter yet.
The Open Book Alliance (OBA), the staunches critic, waited until the last moment to file its objections. The group, backed by Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo among others, not exactly members of the Google fan club, was unconvinced by the latest iteration of the settlement, calling it a "paltry proposal" and an attempt by Google to monopolize the market.
“The torrent of criticism to the settlement may have produced amendments to the class definition, but it has not affected Google’s conduct one iota…..All in all, little has been accomplished, save from Google’s perspective as it continues to build its lead over competitors. …The Court’s procedures are ill-suited for resolution of what is now at stake in this matter – rewriting the copyright law, restructuring the publishing industry, and maintaining a competitive search market,” the OBA writes in the filling.
On its website, the OBA claims that the revised settlement is merely a cosmetic touch up that doesn't go into any of the big issues. It also says that Google's effort to positioning Google Books as a "philanthropic effort" isn't fooling anyone and is just an attempt to cover up its real intentions, getting its hands on the biggest library of digital books in the world to help its scheme to take over the search market.
Related articles
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Google e-library under fire Times of India
Google Books Is All Part of an Evil Plan to Take Over the Search Market Softpedia
The Open Book Alliance (OBA), the staunches critic, waited until the last moment to file its objections. The group, backed by Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo among others, not exactly members of the Google fan club, was unconvinced by the latest iteration of the settlement, calling it a "paltry proposal" and an attempt by Google to monopolize the market.
“The torrent of criticism to the settlement may have produced amendments to the class definition, but it has not affected Google’s conduct one iota…..All in all, little has been accomplished, save from Google’s perspective as it continues to build its lead over competitors. …The Court’s procedures are ill-suited for resolution of what is now at stake in this matter – rewriting the copyright law, restructuring the publishing industry, and maintaining a competitive search market,” the OBA writes in the filling.
On its website, the OBA claims that the revised settlement is merely a cosmetic touch up that doesn't go into any of the big issues. It also says that Google's effort to positioning Google Books as a "philanthropic effort" isn't fooling anyone and is just an attempt to cover up its real intentions, getting its hands on the biggest library of digital books in the world to help its scheme to take over the search market.
Related articles
Google, booked Financial Express
Google e-library under fire Times of India
Google Books Is All Part of an Evil Plan to Take Over the Search Market Softpedia
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Indian authors, publishers take Google to court
Google has caught Indian authors and publishers on the wrong foot, according to a report in the Business Line.
According to the report, some Indian publishers and authors are up in arms against Google Book Settlement (GBS 2.0) for what it calls a blatant violation of Indian and international copyright laws.Google Book Search Project allows books to be made available on the Web. Over seven million books have been scanned by Google. Google Book Settlement allows authors and other copyright holders of out-of-print books to submit a claim to participate in settlements.
Indian authors and publishers, including Star Publications, Abhinav Publications, Daya Publication House and Pustak Mahal along with the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation and Federation of Indian Publishers, have approached the New York District Court. Mr Siddharth Arya, legal counsel for IRRO, said: “The Google Book Settlement is contrary to every international treaty that governs copyright laws. Google's unilateral conduct is a brazen attempt to turn copyright law on its head, by usurping the exclusive rights of the copyright holder.”
More on the report here
According to the report, some Indian publishers and authors are up in arms against Google Book Settlement (GBS 2.0) for what it calls a blatant violation of Indian and international copyright laws.Google Book Search Project allows books to be made available on the Web. Over seven million books have been scanned by Google. Google Book Settlement allows authors and other copyright holders of out-of-print books to submit a claim to participate in settlements.
Indian authors and publishers, including Star Publications, Abhinav Publications, Daya Publication House and Pustak Mahal along with the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation and Federation of Indian Publishers, have approached the New York District Court. Mr Siddharth Arya, legal counsel for IRRO, said: “The Google Book Settlement is contrary to every international treaty that governs copyright laws. Google's unilateral conduct is a brazen attempt to turn copyright law on its head, by usurping the exclusive rights of the copyright holder.”
More on the report here
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