Quote:
Originally Posted by Laridae
Getting back to the OP for a moment, I think this is a good ruling.
I'm not a big fan of Google normally, and I will confess to being more than a little suspicious of their various privacy violations and apparent general megalomania.
Nevertheless, in this case, I think they're doing a good thing for society and, indirectly, even for the authors. Surely it can't hurt sales if obscure passages are brought to light, possibly leading to a new sale of a book. The continued opposition of the authors guild just shows them to be short-sighted and lacking in vision.
As the judge points out; everyone benefits.
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I am repeating myself somewhat here I know.
Anyone has the right to scan and keep a book AFAIK. Even Google and I think that is a good thing.
Posting that book or a portion thereof against an individual authors express wishes is not right IMO. Even Amazon waits for permission for the peek inside the book feature. That is AFAIK the main issue the authors guild is protesting.
One erosion of a right has historically often led to another as the following quote illustrates.
Quote:
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
attributed to pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)
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Helen