Despite criticism from publishers concerned about copyright infringement, internet giant Google, Inc. has started reprinting contents of books in the public domain, including works of fiction, research materials and government documents.
Users can search for a specific phrase or other identifying information to find book titles. Scanned pages of entire books are already available on the site – print.google.com.
Publishers who allow the digitalization of print books have a 50 percent stake in the advertising revenue generated by the site.
Will Wakeling, associate dean of Collections and Technical Service at Northeastern University, noted the sensitivity of copyright infringement in light of recent legal battles in the music and film industries.
“There are outstanding legal confrontations that will need resolution,” Wakeling said.
Google has joined the libraries at Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford and The New York Public Library to build the world’s largest online print card catalogue.
According to a Nov. 3 statement released by Google, Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan, said the new online library is opening the doors for students all over the world, defying geographical limitations by making research materials universally accessible.
“Anyone with an internet connection can search the text of and read the compelling narratives, historical accounts and classic works offered today, and in doing so, access a world of ideas, knowledge and discovery,” Coleman said in the press release.
Wakeling agreed that there is potential for many people to benefit from the service but expressed concern about copyright issues.
“Certainly, people seeking access will benefit in the long term, but a significant issue is the potential loss of revenue to copyright holders,” he said. “Although Google seems to be making strenuous efforts to resolve this, there is a struggle.”
But Wakeling said there is “some empirical evidence” that putting these print materials online may “stimulate sales in hard copy.”
The Authors Guild, a professional society of more than 8,000 writers, filed a suit in September, calling on Google to discontinue the scanning project. A month later, the Association of American Publishers, which represents several large publishing houses, also sued Google, claiming the company had not outlined plans to obtain permission before scanning books.
According to a press release on the AAP website, the International Publishers Association and PEN USA, a nonprofit organization of writers, sued Google on grounds that only the author of a creative work has the right to choose how the work can be used.
Along with criticism on copyright issues, Wakeling said the new online service could potentially draw users away from libraries.
“I think there are some wonderful facets of this, which one would sincerely want to support — as a complement to other resources, but not to replace them,” he said. “I see what we are moving into as a hybrid environment.
“There are literally millions of books that will not be included in Google database,” Wakeling added.
To prevent a repetition of the aggressive criticism about copyright infringement that has inundated the music and film industries, Google has maintained that users can only have access to a book if the book is no longer protected under copyright laws or if the publisher has given permission to show full pages of the book.
Users should not consider Google Print a substitute for libraries, Wakeling said.
“There are still millions of titles — valuable titles — that aren’t going to be on Google’s online catalogue,” he said. “People who assume that if they can’t see it on Google Print, it doesn’t exist, will be making a big mistake.”
A reference librarian at the Boston Public Library who wished to remain anonymous said he believed there would always be a need for librarians and libraries, although there may be some drawbacks on its function in community.
“Without any reference to the copyright, the more information that is available is better. It does seem to me that the library will have a less significant role in society,” the librarian said. “Of course, some libraries’ functions are going to be undercut. But I do not believe it is going to supercede reading paper books. A library is more than a collection of books, it is a resource for finding answers to questions, getting information that people wouldn’t be able to reach on computer.”
Amanda Knorr, a junior in the College of Communication, said she is surprised it has taken so long for books to be made available online.
“I would definitely use it,” she said. “It would cost so much less money. If books have been out of copyright, why shouldn’t it be available on the internet? And if the publishers consent to it, then it’s great.
“I still would go to the library, and buy certain books, but it seems like a useful backup, provided the authors agree,” she added.
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