Google has reached agreement in a class-action lawsuit brought by book publishers which looks set to give the search engine access to even more content.
The move comes as many news organisations continue to dispute Google’s free use of their material. A joint statement from The Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Google says:
The agreement promises to benefit readers and researchers, and enhance
the ability of authors and publishers to distribute their content in digital
form, by significantly expanding online access to works through Google Book
Search, an ambitious effort to make millions of books searchable via the Web.
The agreement acknowledges the rights and interests of copyright owners,
provides an efficient means for them to control how their intellectual
property is accessed online and enables them to receive compensation for
online access to their works.
Under the agreement, Google will make payments totalling US$125 million.
The money will be used to establish the Book Rights Registry, to resolve
existing claims by authors and publishers and to cover legal fees.
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