Google Books Makes Several Concessions for Europe

Google Books has been getting a lot of attention in the US lately, most of it unwelcome, but it is also raising concerns on the other side of the Atlantic, though for slightly different reasons. Authors and publishers in Europe are worried that books published and commercially available in the Old Continent could be sold as out-of-print books in the US. However, Google is trying to soothe those worries, clarifying that books that are currently on sale in Europe will be sold as “commercially available” in the US as well.

“European authors and publishers whose books have been scanned from an American library may benefit from the new revenue that will come as American readers discover and purchase their books. They can register with the new registry to control and profit from online access to their books, or, just like American authors, they can choose to opt out,” Daniel Clancy, engineering director at Google, wrote. “But no readers outside of the United States will reap the benefits American readers will see – because the agreement is under U.S. law.”

The heart of the issue is the settlement between Google and a number of authors and publisher organizations in which Google can scan and sell copyrighted, but out-of-print, materials without the express authorization of the rights holder. Authors can opt out of the program and the ones that can be identified will receive a portion of the revenue generated by the sales. The settlement is facing opposition from several organizations, as well as from Google's competitors, and a court hearing next month.

European authors had other worries, though, and, following a meeting with officials in Brussels this morning, Google has said that it will not treat books that aren't available for sale in the US but are still being sold in Europe as out-of-print, and the company will have to negotiate with the rights holders in Europe separately for these. Also, as a concession, two non-US representatives will join the board handling the settlement.