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Big Ten Schools Recommit to Google Books Project
CNN reports that twelve major universities around the country have agreed to have substantial portions of their libraries included in the Google Books project. Around ten million volumes are expected to be included in the project. Participating schools include the University of Chicago and the 11 universities in the Big Ten athletic conference: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. "The committee said Google will scan and index materials 'in a manner consistent with copyright law.' Google generally makes available the full text of books in the public domain and limited portions of copyrighted books. Several other universities, including Harvard and California, already have signed up to let Google scan their libraries. "
...but isn't it about time that the concept of the public library was taken online? And I don't mean just public domain works, like Project Gutenberg is doing (though of course, if the copyright term weren't so long, public domain only would be viable), but for-real honest-to-god reading books, promoting public literacy, online.
...but is it art?
I find it funny that they are saying the material will be provided in a manner consistent with copyright law when the article also mentions there is a lawsuit pending regarding the appropriate use of copyrighted material.
I may think Google is using it in a legal manner. You may think it is a legal manner. Google may think it is a legal manner. The schools and libraries may think it is a legal manner. However, until the court rules in the pending copyright case, no one really knows what is legal.
Reading code is like reading the dictionary - you have to read half of it before you can go back and understand it.
I don't think that's good enough. For the betterment of humanity, everyone needs to have free access to every academic book ever written. I'm not saying that authors should not be paid, because hardly anyone would write books if they weren't paid, but that an alternative funding scheme needs to be found... and soon. Most academic books are funded by salaries paid from the public purse, so why not go that extra bit further? Anyone who has had to trudge around a research library or request books on interloan knows what a pain this is. Copyright as it is serves as an impediment to the furtherance of humankind. I'm not asking for Harry Potter to be provided free of charge, or the latest paperback porn, but I think it is reasonable to ask that all academic books have free access enabled.
There's no reason why, when I sit down at my computer, that I should not have the sum total of human knowledge at my disposal. Providing this would be a direct benefit to many and an indirect benefit to all, so there is a good case for public funding.
"by that I mean people who don't sit on slashdot all day wondering why everyone else isn't building robots" DECS
If Google were to send employees to these libraries and take out the materials a few at a time, I'm sure the library would have no say in what happens to them. However, that would take ages. In order for this to work, Google would need to get these materials by the truckload. This requires cooperation of the libraries, which requires a formal contract, which means the libraries can negotiate whatever they want.
If the library says that it will only send Google truckloads of books on the condition that Google restrict the usage of those books, Google has to do so. Failure to do so would not mean Google is infringing copyright, it would mean that Google is in breach of contract with the library.
Perhaps a better question is why a library would want to restrict use of any of its collection.
dom
People already have online access to 'the sum total of human knowledge,' provided you are able to pay for it (usually through your university or R&D company account). Those who need it (scientists, doctors, students, researchers, etc.), already have access.
Using public funds to pay for universal access is a horrible idea, however, since some incompetent asshole will invariably be in charge of deciding what gets funded. If you are not convinced, consider the example of Soviet Union and their funding of genetics (aka the Imperialist Whore science) and cybernetics (aka the pseudo-science of bourgeois lackeys).
Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
California isn't a university. It is a state.
I suspect that you haven't lived in California for very long. "Cal" or "California" refers to UC Berkeley, the original UC. I agree with you somewhat, but millions have gotten used to calling it that. And it isn't the only state with multiple state run universities to adopt that terminology -- Missouri (or "Missou") is another example...
A friend of mine was hired by a company that was doing this work for Google. When the schools pulled out, out went his job.
The camera system they had was great- using Canon 1Ds with a mirror, a page flipper, and no book was opened past 45 degrees (I believe- I'm doing this from memory).
Would have been a nice job....