against the great idea of ​​Google's books & quo

Google E-Book technology news

Friday September 18, 2009

16:40 Five organizations representing publishers, libraries and copyright holders Europe today sent a letter to EU Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, to protest the business model of Google Books, they consider that violates rights Copyright.
The platform ICOMP (Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace)-created this year and driven by the U.S. software giant Microsoft, "urges the European Commission (EC) to find" satisfactory answers "to the" questions "raised by the Google Books project to digitize books.

The Commission held a public hearing this month to discuss the possible implications of the Google project, which has already reached a settlement with U.S. publishers and authors to receive 63% of profits involving the digitization of their works.

In particular, ICOMP was asked why the agreement reached by Google in the United States requires European authors and publishers to "opt out in a deal for which they were never consulted," but where they are included from the beginning.




He also believes that the agreement, reached with U.S. authors and publishers, does not represent the copyright owners around the world, and regrets that its text is not available in all European languages.

Moreover, the platform calls for "what steps" Google has taken to protect the rights of works of art and photography "which do not appear to be in the scope of the agreement."

He also believes that the registration of works that aims to create Google does not clarify whether other competitors assign licenses books "orphans" (those whose authors are difficult to ascertain) or whose rights have not been claimed.

As for the "concession" Google not to offer European-authored books that are available at stores in your country, the platform considered to have legal value, should be included in the agreement.

ICOMP also believes that EU competition authorities should take into account the possibility that only you can access the record books through the form on the company, which will enhance their overwhelming market power of search and advertising " Internet.

In this regard, we propose that Google agreed to give competitors direct access to the database which is digitizing books to ensure that the agreement does not confer a "de facto monopoly" to the U.S. company.

As regards the protection of personal information of users, he wonders if Google does not fit the data collected in the Google Books to collect through your other applications.

Finally, consider "anti" the agreement provision that allows only Google improve its search through the experience in Google Books, and not other search engines, even though the agreement says it is open to competitors.


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