COPYCENSE

“Still embroiled in controversy over its plans to digitize several of the world’s largest library collections, Google is inviting U.S. and U.K. publishers to sell online access to their copyright texts through its book search site.

“Right now, Google Book Search users can view free snippets of copyright books catalogued by its service but cannot read entire books online. They have the option of perusing a full version by clicking on links to outside booksellers or library catalogs.

“The new offering would allow people to sign in and purchase immediate, browser-based access to books, Google said on its site. Purchasers would not, however, be allowed to save a copy of the book to their computer or to otherwise copy pages from the book.”

Anne Broache. Google To Broker Online Book Sales. News.com. March 13, 2006.

See also:

Search Engine Watch Blog. Google Partnering With Publishers To Sell Online Books. March 13, 2006.

Maija Palmer. Publishers’ Soul Searching Over Google Plan. FT.com. March 13, 2006.

Alison Bone. Google to Sell Access to Book Content Online. Information World Review. March 13, 2006.

Kimberly Maul. Publishers to Control Paid-Access Books Available Through Google. The Book Standard. March 10, 2006.

Kimberly Maul. Checking Out the Machines Behind Book Digitization. The Book Standard. February 21, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the intersection of business, law and technology. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.