This was posted today on PWDaily (Publishers Weekly Daily):
Friday, November 18, 2005 Publishers, Google Battle over Books
The debate between publishers and authors and Google and its allies
held last night at the New York Public Library was heated, sometimes
contentious and mostly civil, and even produced a point on which all
sides agreed--that they are miles apart on what they view as fair use
in the 21st century.
Stanford professor Lawrence Lessig argued before a packed house that
if the publishers and authors win their lawsuit against Google's
Print for Library program (now renamed Google Book Search, see
accompanying story) they would gain total control over content that
would stifle future innovation and development. The definition of
fair use needs to be expanded in the digital age, Lessig argued.
AAP's Allan Adler said if Google's theory of fair use was adopted, it
would put Google in control of other people's content that it
downloaded onto its own databases. While Google says it will use the
scanned book content in a limited way, that could all change, Adler
said.
Google V-P of corporate development David Drummond said Google Book
Search was designed with fair use in mind and not to harm publishers.
If the company ever goes beyond the bounds of fair use, other
copyright protections would kick in, Drummond said, to which Adler
quickly responded "that's why we went to court."
Lessig added a slight twist to the debate when he said he was worried
Google would settle with the authors and publishers, thereby creating
a system that would prevent smaller companies from creating new
products. Judging from last night's discussion, a settlement is far
away.
--Jim Milliot
--
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Leigh Gates, Visual Resources Librarian
MacLean Visual Resource Center, Ryerson Library
The Art Institute of Chicago
37 S. Wabash, Chicago IL 60603
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tel: 312/899-1223 fax: 312/263-0141
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