Something is missing!
Theft is defined as:
The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another person.
Earlier this week at New York City’s BookExpo America, the CEO of of Macmillan Publishers stole two laptops from the Google Book Search booth:
“There was no sign saying ‘please do not steal the computers,’” Richard Charkin wrote on his blog. “I confess that a colleague and I simply picked them up.”
After the heist, Charkin and his accomplice waited patiently beside the Google booth. More than an hour later, when booth workers noticed that the laptops were missing, Charkin explained that he was merely giving Google a taste of its own medicine. The booth workers were speechless.
With Book Search and its accompanying Library Project, Google is attempting to digitize the book collections held by many of the world’s leading libraries and serve them up to Web users. But in the fall of 2005 – after the company began scanning collections at the University of Michigan, Harvard University, the New York Public Library, and others – the Association of American Publishers and The Author’s Guild filed suit against the company, claiming that the project infringed on the copyrights of publishers and authors. In many cases, Google won’t refrain from scanning a copyrighted book unless it receives a specific request from the copyright owner.
“If you don’t want Google to digitize your books, you must tell them not to do it,” Charkin told The Register. “With our heist, we were merely doing to Google what they’re doing to us.” The Register
Lawrence Lessig wrote a compelling piece that I would recommend that anyone read if they are trying to understand Google’s intentions.
So, let’s give you a little background on Google Book Search:
What is Google Book Search?
Search the full text of books to find ones that interest you and learn where to buy or borrow them.How does Google Book Search work?
Book Search works just like web search: Try a search on Google Book Search or on Google.com. When we find a book whose content contains a match for your search terms, we’ll link to it in your search results. Clicking on a book result, you’ll be able to see everything from a few short excerpts to the entire book, depending on a few different factors.What can I view?
Each book includes an ‘About this book’ page with basic bibliographic data like title, author, publication date, length and subject. For some books you may also see additional information like key terms and phrases, references to the book from scholarly publications or other books, chapter titles and a list of related books. For every book, you’ll see links directing you to bookstores where you can buy the book and libraries where you can borrow it.Full view: If we’ve determined that a book is out of copyright, or the publisher or rightsholder has given us permission, you’ll be able to page through the entire book from start to finish, as many times as you like. If the book is in the public domain, you’ll also be able download, save and print a PDF version to read at your own pace.
Limited preview: If a publisher or author has joined our Partner Program, you’ll be able to see a few full pages from the book as a preview. You can conduct multiple searches within the book, or browse through the available pages (there’s a limit to the amount of the book you can view online).
Snippet view: Clicking on the book result, you’ll be taken to the ‘About this book’ page. If you choose to search within the book, for each search term we’ll display up to three snippets of text from the book, showing your search term in context. You can enter additional searches to help you decide whether you’ve found the right book. As always in Book Search, you’ll see links to places where you can buy or borrow the book.
No preview available: For books where we’re unable to show you snippets, you’ll see an ‘About this book’ page displaying bibliographic information about the book, plus links to help you find it in a bookstore or library.
What can I do once I’ve found a book I like?
- Browse: Click the forward-facing arrow to browse available pages. If you’re in one-page mode, simply scroll down to see all available pages. You can also choose to view the book in full-screen mode (filling your browser window).
- Search within the book:Click on additional search results to see other pages containing your original search term, or try a new search within the book.
- Buy the book: Click on one of the links to online booksellers to go to directly to a page where you can buy the book.
- Find it in a library: Many books have Library Links. Look for the “Find this book in a library” link to find a local library that has a copy. Learn more.
- Learn about the publisher: Click the publisher’s logo to go to the publisher’s website and find more books from that publisher.
Even with the concept explained, publishers and authors are still trying to keep user away from their works:
Today we learned that the Authors Guild filed a lawsuit to try to stop Google Print. We regret that this group chose to sue us over a program that will make millions of books more discoverable to the world — especially since any copyright holder can exclude their books from the program. What’s more, many of Google Print’s chief beneficiaries will be authors whose backlist, out of print and lightly marketed new titles will be suggested to countless readers who wouldn’t have found them otherwise.
Here is my take on the whole matter:
What is the intent of writing something? To make it available for others to read (or purchase, then read). The only value that a writer has is that his product is published and/or shared, right?
So, why wouldn’t someone want to have their product to be available for potential readers/buyers? The concept of holistic optimization or user centered design is that the user is the focus. Why would I want to limit my product to those that are willing to see things in a limited form? I want everyone to be able to find my writing, so I publish on the Internet and offer my posts through various formats so they can consume it on their terms. Google Book Search is nothing more than providing their users with what they are looking for in the format they need or want it. Why doesn’t this make sense?
My other concern is reinforced by the nature and intent of Richard Charkin’s theft of two laptops. I am sorry Mr. Charkin, what you did was not what Google is doing!. Even if Google was “stealing” your product, it does not mean that you have the right to reciprocate this action. My biggest concern now is that Macmillan is a publisher of text books, is this the type of education that they are trying to pass to others? Because you are a CEO of a book publishing company doesn’t mean you have common sense or consideration for real justice. Ignorance is bliss.
After you figure out basic concepts I learned at a young age (two wrongs don’t make a right), please refer back to business principles 101 and the law of supply and demand. When your customers demand something, the first to supply it will have the advantage. Did the publishing community stop learning? Welcome to the 21st century!
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
What Google says they do and what they actually do are two different things. They have scanned 4 entire chapters of my mystery, CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT SITTER, and added the first three pages of subsequent chapters. This is not a “snippet,” but a blatant infringement of copyright. The book was published in hardcover in 2006 and in paperback in 2006.
Blaize,
Thank you for your comment. I have heard a lot in the news regarding the publisher’s and Google’s perspective, however, there has been very little consideration for the artist’s point of view.
I think that more respect should be given to the “authors” of the success of both of these parties.
Blaize this is why it is important to protect your work by adding the line robots.txt this will prevent all search engines visiting that specific page.
Pete,
I believe that in this instance that Blaize doesn’t have control over her work, in fact, I would dare to say that she sold her rights to her publisher, so it is the publisher (the owner of the work) that has the control.
She is not actively publishing her writing online.
Thanks for the comment.