Publishers Protest Google Library Project

gollum123 writes "A group of academic publishers is challenging Google Inc.'s plan to scan millions of library books into its Internet search engine index, highlighting fears that the ambitious project will violate copyrights and stifle future sales. In a letter scheduled to be delivered to Google Monday, the Association of American University Presses described the online search engine's library project as a troubling financial threat to its membership -- 125 nonprofit publishers of academic journals and scholarly books. The university presses depend on books sales and other licensing agreements for most of their revenue, making copyright protections essential to their survival."

Comments

AMEN....

[zappepcs]

nuff said

I think they need a dictonary.

[AltGrendel]

125 nonprofit publishers of academic journals and scholarly books
Everyone together now: Non-profit.
Once again: Non-profit.

Lousy, irrelevant analogy

[nonsuchworks]

RTFA--this action is being taken to protect "nonprofit publishers of academic journals and scholarly books," not whoever the fuck wrote the Ya-Ya Sisterhood book. Academics don't subscribe to journals or buy monographs because their cousin or some internet nerd tells them it "changed their life;" they buy them because they know it will contain research important to their field. Original scholarship is costly and time-consuming to produce, and by its nature serves a very small market. A few lost sales can make a big difference. Those who publish it have the right -- indeed, the obligation -- to protect their own investment and the rights of their authors.