Radical Google Books proposal 'permitted to be heard'
6th August 2009
A federal judge has given permission for a radical proposal to be put forward intended to settle Google's legal battle with publishers in the US.
The Media Exchange Company has suggested that book owners relinquish their books in exchange for getting access to a scanned version on Google and the ability to see it where ever and whenever they want, reports Reuters.
Speaking to the news agency, Media Exchange's legal representatives Riezman Berger told District Court Judge Denny Chin that the deal would be in line with what many libraries are interested in doing themselves.
The judge was told: 'Just as libraries have become increasingly interested in partnering with Google to digitize their collections ... so, too, individual book owners are becoming increasingly interested in digitising their collections.'
EU chiefs are also reviewing the proposed $125 million (GPB 73.5 million) book scanning settlement between Google and American authors and publishers, reports Bloomberg.
The news agency reports that the European Commission intends to hold a hearing in which interested parties will be able to comment on the settlement.