A commentary by the OBA placed online today looks at what has changed, what has not changed, and asks, “where are we today” in terms of the Google Book Settlement.
One Example From the What Has Changed Portion of the Article
As Publishers Weekly noted, “Google eBooks overnight becomes the largest e-book provider in the world” – a title that would likely be cemented if the Google Book Settlement is approved, effectively giving Google a court-sanctioned monopoly over millions of digitized books. The launch of Google eBooks should dispel any remaining notion that Google is scanning books for some higher, altruistic purpose – the launch of eBooks and the acquisition of eBook Technologies just a few weeks later demonstrates that Google, as with any corporation, is simply in it for the money.
The “What has NOT Changed” section consists of a list of the still unaddressed objections the U.S. Department of Justice
The article concludes with a couple of comments about “Where are Web Today.”
In short, the list of concerns with the GBS has only grown over the last year, and Google’s actions in the eBook market and elsewhere have done nothing to assuage the problems that have existed from the beginning.
Read the Complete Open Book Alliance Commentary
About Gary Price
