Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The Implications of Google's Digital Library

Posted by Zonk on from the shaking-things-up dept.

Connectmc wrote to mention a CNN article discussing Google's Digital Library project. From the article: "Tony Sanfilippo is of two minds when it comes to Google's ambitious program to scan millions of books and make their text fully searchable on the Internet. On the one hand, Sanfilippo credits the program for boosting sales of obscure titles at Penn State University Press, where he works. On the other, he's worried that Google's plans to create digital copies of books obtained directly from libraries could hurt his industry's long-term revenues."

5 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Industry Revenues... by lordsony · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe we shouldn't worry so much about the lost profits, but more about the knowledge we made avaible to the world...

    1. Re:Industry Revenues... by notasheep · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Easy to say when they're not your profits... Why don't you donate your next year's salary to your local library so you can increase the amount of knowledge available to your community?

      --
      Your mind looks a little cramped. Why don't you stretch it a little?
  2. Longterm revenues... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't anyone bothered by the fact that companies trying to secure "longterm revenues" are constantly preventing society from progressing as a whole? If a new idea or technology emerges that is going to put you out of business, it's time to do something else. Perpetuating the same crap year after year after year serves no purpose other than hindering progress.

  3. Imagine that! by EraserMouseMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    . . . he's worried that Google's plans to create digital copies of books obtained directly from libraries could hurt his industry's long-term revenues.

    Innovation usually reduces demand for the obsolete version. The fact is, books are a pain in the tail to search through any way you look at it. It's about time a serious effort is made to make printed material electronically searchable.

  4. Re:Same article 100 years ago... by RingDev · · Score: 5, Informative

    The /. synopsis leaves a bit out as usual. Google is going to some pretty good lengths to make sure the system is not exploited in any non-fair use ways.

    For instance, you can only read a few pages of the book related to your search. And even if you search multiple times, you can only read a few more pages. You can not use google to download the entire book for free.

    Also, google is cutting publishers in on the advertising for the pages their book is displayed on.

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs