Reading Rights: Google and the Digital Book

The most recent chapter in the evolution of the book is getting attention from international courts, Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft and Yahoo, and The United States Department of Justice. As the world’s wealth of digitized knowledge grows, Google hopes to add to the collection by scanning thousands of books and making them available to anyone with access to the web. Some books would be available for free and others would require a purchase in order to view the entire work.

This move did not go unnoticed by authors and publishers who immediately sued Google for breaching copyright laws. After reaching an agreement that would require Google to share any revenues it receives from digital book purchases with authors and publishers, the two parties are currently seeking judicial approval of the agreement.

But not everyone is in support of this new arrangement. Several countries including Germany, France, and Japan have filed reports to the American Court handling the case, claiming that this agreement would violate their copyright laws. Competing firms like Amazon, the manufacturer of the Kindle, suggest that the arrangement would create a monopoly and limit choice for consumers.

Our recent discussions in class regarding the balance between rewarding those who innovate while also allowing society as a whole to benefit from an idea, come to mind when reading this article. Are Google’s actions anti-competitive or are they providing a revolutionary service and technology to society? I believe that this issue will resolve itself when publishers and authors accept this new medium for their work and embrace the digital model. Regardless of the decision, the technology of accessing thousands of books from your computer or phone is here to stay. So read on!