Google Loses Copyright Case In Paris

December 18. 2009

Google HQ

Search giant Google has lost a landmark copyright case in Paris, France, regarding its digital library of books that saw the company scan millions of literary works, without permission from copyright holding authors.

Internationally, one does not need to file a copyright to protect one's works, as in America with the Library of Congress (The Copyright Office). The world works under the premise that the Berne Convention applies to all and a free copyright is established the second one puts pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. One only needs to verify the date of authorship in the event a legal dispute arises.

However, the U.S. Courts requires one to register copyrights at a not-so-cheap-fee, because in the event your work is stolen and due to the treachery and greed of Hollywood, it probably will be, it is the only way you can attempt to recover damages in the American legal system.

Google needs to work out a proper compensation package to the authors whose books were scanned without permission. Then, seek full clearance before continuing with this practice.

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Paris Court Convicts Google in Copyright Case

PARIS—A French court found Google Inc. guilty of copyright infringement for scanning books and publishing extracts online without a French publisher's consent, a ruling that could hinder the U.S search company's ongoing drive to create a giant global online library.

In a Friday ruling that Google said it would appeal, the court ordered the U.S. company to pay €300,000 ($501,000) to French publisher La Martinière and to remove online extracts of the publisher's books.  

The ruling, which is the first of its kind in France and applies only to this country, could set a legal precedent for any future copyright infringement cases by French publishers, said Valerie Barthez, head of the legal department at the French publishers' association Société des Gens de Lettres de France, which was one of the plaintiffs in the case... 

Earlier this week French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would spend €2 billion to digitalize books and other cultural publications itself. "We can't let this heritage go astray," Mr. Sarkozy told reporters. "It's a question of national identity." ...

http://online.wsj.com