Are Google and Microsoft Squaring Off Over Public Domain Works?

Connotea Imports 2012-07-31

Summary:

"[I]t’s difficult to know why access to [public domain] government documents [via Google] is currently noticeably restricted, in contradiction with the broad availability of 19th century materials. One is also left to wonder whether Google believes that they have any legal grounds for their “Usage Guidelines,” which seem to defy the very nature of public access. Meanwhile, it seems Microsoft has plans of its own involving public domain materials. An article in Sunday’s Times Online announced that 65,000 19th century works of fiction from the British Library’s collection will be made available for free public downloads this spring....[O]ne wonders if the Bristish Library’s Microsoft-backed project may be the first in a series of initiatives aimed at reducing Google’s stranglehold on public-access materials. Given how confused Google appears to be about what “public access” means, some competition in this area might be a good idea...."

Link:

http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2010/02/09/google-book-search-mysteries-and-the-public-view-of-public-domain-works/

From feeds:

Open Access Tracking Project (OATP) » Connotea Imports

Tags:

oa.new oa.pd oa.digitization oa.google.books oa.copyright

Authors:

petersuber

Date tagged:

07/31/2012, 20:06

Date published:

02/10/2010, 13:10