Google pauses online books plan

[Gatton]

So says a BBC News article. Guess it's not really a shock since it's been controversial from day one. According to the text Google plans to resume the project "Google Print" in November to give publishers a chance to let them know which of their books they don't want included.

Link to article.

[doctorow]

That's sad but it was also to be expected. Just because they are Google doesn't mean everyone is happy with what they're doing (just ask c|net). They were planning unauthorized copying and distribution of copyright-protected works... something college kids would get in jail for.

Now from what I understood, Google delays until November to give copyright holders a chance to send Google a list of exactly which books they want Google to exclude from the programme. After that, whoever didn't contact Google, agrees in Google scanning his work... some weird presumption that doesn't amuse the Association of American Publisher:

Although the Project will get underway with the digitization of works in the public domain over the next three months, Google’s plan calls for digitally copying every work in the collections of three major libraries unless specifically denied permission for a particular work by the copyright owner. "Google’s procedure shifts the responsibility for preventing infringement to the copyright owner rather than the user, turning every principle of copyright law on its ear"...