[Web4lib] Google Allows Downloads of out-of-copyright Books

[K.G. Schneider]

> This is one of my gripes about Google Books. Although the work itself may
> be
> clearly in the public domain, if a publisher has republished it and is
> currently selling it, it is locked down on Google Books. Add to this the
> fact that Google Books apparently knows nothing about the freely
> available
> out of copyright works on the Internet and you have a ridiculous
> situation.
> Sometimes you are actually much better off searching Google proper for a
> book than you are Google Books, since Google *does* know about openly
> available out of copyright works.
> Roy

I have run into this problem as well, particularly with classic books
republished with introductions by Famous Scholars. As soon as the book
has any value to it, it goes behind the pay wall. But it's findable on
the web... and of course, through libraries, which Google doesn't tell
you about either, at least for most of their collection. 

K.G. Schneider
kgs at bluehighways.com