[Web4lib] Copyright Law (fair use) analysis of Google Print program

[Karen Coyle]

Maurice York wrote:

>Not one to argue the legal fine points myself, I will simply make a
>perspective comment, which is one that I have heard Google emphasize
>on several occasions. The number of works that are in the public
>domain or orphaned represent the significant percentage of books owned
>by libraries. The items that are in print or have active copyrights
>that have not lapsed in one way or another represent only a fraction
>of the holdings of the universities that Google has engaged in the
>Print project, not to mention all of the other reasearch library
>holdings that are out there in the bellies of future potential
>partners. 
>
I'd love to see actual figures on that. Or even a good study on 
acquisitions figures over time. The ARL statistics don't go back far 
enough to get a real time perspective. We know that the number of titles 
published per year has been increasing (as reported in the AAP 
statistics), but again we don't have any long term data. Do you have any 
pointers?

kc

>It seems to me that Google has a strong case for orphaned
>works, if not for books with active rights, particularly if libraries
>can set aside the Google squabbling and recognize that working with
>the giant on getting a collective and satisfactory approach to
>orphaned works benefits everyone all the way around.
>
>So it seems that the discussion on active copyrighted works, which has
>come to dominate almost the entire discussion, is perhaps bloating out
>of proportion to the long-term prospects of the project as a whole.
>
>2 cents minus a penny for leaving my credentials in my other wallet,
>naturally.....
>
>-Maurice
>
>  
>

-- 
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Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle at kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
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fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
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