14 DAY TRIAL // If Google does not listen to your words, you should force it to do so. Take for example the Macmillan Publishers, an organization that accused Google for trying to digitize their content without authorization. Because the company considered that Google's Book Search technology should focus on the content that can be indexed on their service and the one that is not allowed, the CEO of Macmillan Publishers, Richard Charkin decided to make a funny demonstration to the Google employees. Last week at the New York City BookExpo America, Richard Charkin stole two of the laptops placed on the Google Book Search stand.
The reason? "The owner of the computer had not specifically told us not to steal it. If s/he had, we would not have done so," Richard said. Actually, it was just a simple demonstration for the Google employees that stealing somebody's content might be extremely unpleasant for the owners. "When s/he asked for its return, we did so.", he added.
After approximately one hour of waiting, the Google Book Search team was finally alerted by the two laptops' missing. That was the moment when Richard Charkin decided to give them the laptops. "It is exactly what Google expects publishers to expect and accept in respect to intellectual property," he explained.
"If you don't tell us we may not digitise something, we shall do so. But we do no evil. So if you tell us to desist we shall. I felt rather shabby playing this trick on Google. They should feel the same playing the same trick on authors and publishers," he also mentioned.
It all ended with a great party organized by Google at their New York offices where everyone laughed at the trick.