AAP Sues Google

by Jim Milliot, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 10/19/2005

A little less than one month after the Author Guild filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google over its Library Project (PW Daily, Sept. 21), the Association of American Publishers has filed its own suit that charges Google with infringing the rights of authors and publishers.

The AAP, which is coordinating and funding the suit, filed the complaint on behalf of the McGraw-Hill Cos., Pearson Education, Penguin Group USA, Simon & Schuster and John Wiley. "The publishing industry is united behind this lawsuit against Google and united in the fight to defend their rights," said AAP president Pat Schroeder. "While authors and publishers know how useful Google's search engine can be and think the Print Library could be an excellent resource, the bottom line is that under its current plan Google is seeking to make millions of dollars by freeloading on the talent and property of authors and publishers."

As a way of accomplishing the legal use of copyrighted works in the Library Project, AAP proposed to Google that they utilize the ISBN numbering system to identify works under copyright and secure permission from publishers and authors to scan these works. Google rejected the offer.

Schroeder noted that while "Google Print Library could help many authors get more exposure and maybe even sell more books, authors and publishers should not be asked to waive their long-held rights so that Google can profit from this venture."