Debate - The Google Book Text Search Project

[Viva_La_Revolution]

On CSPAN2, I'm watching a panel debating the pros and cons. Lawsuits have been filed to prevent Google from continuing with the project.

Pro - Access to everyone for every book ever published. Research and learning is facilitated.

Con - Lawyer for Publishers says they will lose money.

Google says there are about 1 million books that belong to the public domain (no copyright issues there). About 20 million are copyrighted, but only about 2 million of those are they able to actually track down a person or publisher that holds the copyright.

Fascinating. Anyone else watching?

I'm for it, of course. I've been looking forward to having so much info at my fingertips, and was very disappointed when the lawsuits stopped the process.


What do you think? (especially DU authors) :)

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. anybody? anybody?

Bueler?

:(

[Journeyman]

2. The last book I helped design and produce currently sells for $105.54 . . .

and took over 2 years to ready for print -- what do you believe I should think about Google scanning it to their website for free?

More importantly, how anxious do you believe our team should be to get to work on another project for Google to steal?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. They have an 'opt out' clause

If you do not want your work scanned and offered (in 3 sentence snippets) to the world, you can refuse to have your work scanned.

does that alter your decision?

[Journeyman]

4. Then it seems more in line with legitimate review use. . .

and I can't see many objecting to additional publicity. But why are the lawyers involved? Unless Google puts the opt-out onus on the author/publisher, and not upon itself as instigator, when and where are the lawyers getting fed in this debate?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. well, it's opt out instead of opt in

meaning, unless you do legally opt out of the project, your work is included.

therefore, onus on the copyright holder to opt out.

The lawyers are getting fed by the fees they charge, of course. (they are Lawyers after all!)

Works in the public domain will be avail. 100%

Copyrighted works, only 3 sentence snippets are avail. You will still have to go to the Library or purchase the book for comprehensive research purposes.


It's kind of like the debate we had about movies and music. "if it's available to copy, we'll go broke!" Well, that didn't happen.

[JDPriestly]

6. I have bought books after checking them out on the internet.

Googling is good for finding relevant passages of a book, but at this time, I can't imagine reading a whole book on the internet. The hardware would have to be something I could hold in my hand, underline, put post-it notes in and interact with as I do with a book. I interact with the internet but in a different way.

I have decided to buy books after seeing bits of them on the internet. I think that Google's project just might increase the sales of books, especially unusual books.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. that's my thought too

we'll be able to find books we never even knew existed. :)

[Solo_in_MD]

7. I'm a specialty author and support Google on this

[EFerrari]

9. The internet was the only real promo I used for my first book

and I didn't need any other. This is a great idea and I hope those lawyers are fixing to make a deal, not block one.

Also -- since I could preview and buy music on line, I've bought 'way more of it. It's a godsend when you're too busy to take two hours to go out to a shop and look through their limited inventory.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. they will even have a feature called "find this book"

that will tell you every library and bookstore that carries it, based on your zip code.

Very cool!

[EFerrari]

12. You could probably cut down a doctoral program by a few years

with something like that. lol

[chaska]

11. Am I the only one who has trouble reading anything on a computer for longer than....

about a half hour. I can sit with a book for hours, but not the 'puter. What's with that?