book digitisation (Europe) and Google - trouble ahead [cross-posted]

The growing rift between Europe and the US over the Google settlement becomes more evident with this rallying call and complaint from two of the European Commisioners, and clearly strongly supported by Germany for one (in Angela Merkel's Podcast the previous day). Apart from the difficulties this could cause for international publishing it has other political dimensions.

This illustrates the international nature of copyright in the age of the internet and of World IP agreements.

Joseph


European Commission Makes Rallying Call For EU-wide Solutions To Preserve European Works And Rights
http://www.booktrade.info/i.php/23681
http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/23681

"We must boost Europe as a centre of creativity and innovation. The vast heritage in Europe's libraries cannot be left to languish but must be made accessible to our citizens" Commissioner McCreevy, responsible for the Internal Market, stated
...."Important digitisation efforts have already started all around the globe. Europe should seize this opportunity to take the lead, and to ensure that books digitisation takes place on the basis of European copyright law, and in full respect of Europe's cultural diversity. 
...Europe, with its rich cultural heritage, has most to offer and most to win from books digitisation. If we act swiftly, pro-competitive European solutions on books digitisation may well be sooner operational than the solutions presently envisaged under the Google Books Settlement in the United States."
...hearings held by the Commission on the Google Books Settlement Agreement highlighted the anomalous situation that would arise were the Settlement to be approved, ....vast number of European works in U.S. libraries that have been digitised by Google would only be available to consumers and researchers in the U.S. but not in Europe itself. Ensuring that Europeans are given access to their own cultural heritage, while European authors are fairly remunerated, is therefore of immediate concern and will require European responses, [more]


Joseph Harris  -  Debt Control Man
author: Control Your Debt Crisis on Your Own Terms
blog: http://debtcontrolman.wordpress.com
http://www.controlyourdebtcrisis.co.uk
debt dictionary: http://www.controlyourdebtcrisis.co.uk/debtwiki/


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