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Google To Remove "Inappropriate" Books From Digital Library

Posted by timothy on from the limited-resources dept.

Miracle Jones writes "In an interview with Professor (and former Microsoft employee) James Grimmelmann at the New York Law School, who is both setting up an online clearinghouse to discuss the Google book settlement and drafting an amicus brief to inform the court about the antitrust factors surrounding "orphan books," he revealed that Google will be able to moderate the content of its book scans in the same way that they moderate their YouTube videos, leaving out works that Google deems "inappropriate" from the 7 million library books it has scanned. The Fiction Circus has called for a two-year long rights auction that will ensure that these "inappropriate" titles do not get left behind in the digital era, and that other people who are willing to host and display these books will be able to do so. There is only one week left for authors and publishers to "opt out" of the settlement class and retain their rights or raise objections, and Brewster Kahle's Internet Archive has been stopped from jumping on board Google's settlement as a party defendant and receiving the same legal protections that Google will get. A group of authors, including Philip K. Dick's estate, has tried to delay the settlement for four more months until they get their minds around the issue." In related news, Google is seeking a 60-day extension to the period in which it's attempting to contact authors to inform them of their right to opt-out of the terms of the settlement.

19 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Burn 'em! by MrEricSir · · Score: 3, Funny

    Question: how do you burn a digital book?

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
    1. Re:Burn 'em! by rlp · · Score: 4, Funny

      Question: how do you burn a digital book?

      Depends on whether you are making a CD or DVD ...

      --
      [Insert pithy quote here]
    2. Re:Burn 'em! by SnarfQuest · · Score: 2, Funny

      Put in on a laptop with one of those flaky batterries in them.

      --
      Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
    3. Re:Burn 'em! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes! Environmentally friendly censorship!

    4. Re:Burn 'em! by cp.tar · · Score: 3, Funny

      Question: how do you burn a digital book?

      Answer: bit by bit.

      --
      Ignore this signature. By order.
  2. mental fllexibility by beanyk · · Score: 4, Funny

    A group of authors, including Philip K. Dick's estate, has tried to delay the settlement for four more months until they get their minds around the issue.

    I'd have thought that anyone related to Philip K. Dick would be able to wrap their mind around -anything-.

  3. What kind of books are inappropriate? by JTsyo · · Score: 4, Funny

    How to Prepare Children for Witches
    Designing a Meth Lab
    The Demise of America under Corporations

    1. Re:What kind of books are inappropriate? by SnarfQuest · · Score: 3, Funny

      If it's based on slashdot users, it includes:

      Anything that disproves global warming.
      Anything critical against Barok Obama.
      Anything about programming perl.

      --
      Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
    2. Re:What kind of books are inappropriate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      What makes you think those users would approve of book banning? I think a debate on whether global warming exists or not is not a particularly useful one - that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be allowed to write or read books.

      I support him, but I'm still critical of Barack Obama's policies on wiretapping & I disagree with him on a lot of privacy issues & people he's appointed. Why would I want to ban books? If anything a good book at the end of his presidency describing everything that went on in a critical manner would be very interesting to read. That doesn't mean I think any discussion that starts of "OMG he's leading us into fascism" or "OMG he raised taxes a bit - socialism" is particularly useful. Any books from those people wouldn't be interesting to me either - that doesn't mean they don't have the right to write them.

      Now perl programming is inappropriate & should be banned.

    3. Re:What kind of books are inappropriate? by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Anything about programming perl.

      It doesn't matter anyway - there's no point in trying to index line noise.

      --
      That is all.
    4. Re:What kind of books are inappropriate? by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · · Score: 3, Funny

      1) Robust scientific debate

      2) Being distrustful of any politician

      3) Destroying souls (spot on)

      Fixed that for ya

      --
      "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
  4. Re:You Would Think... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Funny

    suppose we'll have to wait and see what gets flagged as "inappropriate."

    Two words: Ann Coulter.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  5. Re:You Would Think... by maxume · · Score: 5, Funny

    She will be remembered as one of the great humorists of our time.

    --
    Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
  6. Re:Author! Author! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You are begging for a Soviet Russia joke. The estate didn't write the books, the books 'wrote' the estate....

  7. Harlan Ellison by Tteddo · · Score: 2, Funny

    All I really want to know is what Harlan Ellison thinks.
    He's a beacon of light in our troubled forest of copyright.

    1. Re:Harlan Ellison by honestmonkey · · Score: 2, Funny

      Screw you, I'm going to sue you. I own the copyright and trademark for "beacon of light in our troubled forest" and you owe me money for even thinking it.

      Sincerly,
      H. Ellison

      --
      Everything you know is wrong, Just forget the words and sing along.
  8. Re:Censorship by EzRider · · Score: 2, Funny

    Exactly. NOTHING is inappropriate!

    Tubgirl begs to differ.

  9. Re:You Would Think... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    For the sake of accuracy AND brevity, why don't we just call her BITCH!

  10. Re:Censorship by guyminuslife · · Score: 2, Funny

    She's cute. I'd tap that.

    --
    I don't believe in time. It's a grand conspiracy designed to sell watches.