It’s been difficult for me to grasp what’s been going on with Google’s free online digital library, now that they’ve drafted a complex settlement with publishers.
I liked it a lot more when they simply insisted that what they were doing was fair use, so back off and let them do their thing (technically, they still assert this).
Instead we’re dealing with a new system of access to written material that bears no semblance to a traditional library in form, function, or freedom.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the promise of Google Books. I just don’t think the precedent their settlement creates is quite the bargain it might first seem to be.
Lawrence Lessig explains the whole deal much better than I could in this article, and provides a useful context to the ongoing drama. A long-ish read, but well worth the effort.
[via BoingBoing]
