Questions Linger Over Google Book Rights Registry 107
We've discussed the fallout from Google's settlement with the Authors Guild a few times already. Now the issue is made pointed again by a Wall Street Journal editorial claiming that the settlement will ruin a functioning copyright system if it is finally ratified, as expected, in June by a federal court. Reader daretoeatapeach writes: "In the US this will establish a Book Rights Registry where authors can opt-in to 63% of the revenues of each book, the rest going to Google. While previously Amazon had cornered the market on e-books, Google's partnership with Sony will create a serious dent: 500,000 books to Amazon's 250,000. Though Google is currently only releasing the books that are in the public domain, they ultimately plan to sell the 7 million e-books they've scanned (and counting). This raises a lot of questions about the future of publishing: Do we want only one company (e.g. Google) controlling access to information? Should publishers get a cut of the money, at least as long as their book is being scanned? Will broader access to trade journals affect their relationship and reliance on libraries? If, in the future, more authors opt out of the traditional publishing model, when will this hit the 'recession-proof' book industry? And has the publishing industry learned any lessons from MP3s?"
Obligatory xkcd (Score:5, Funny)
OH NOES! (Score:5, Funny)
"the settlement will ruin a functioning copyright system"
I suppose he's implying the current copyright system will be unaffected, right?
Right?
Think of the poor publishers! (Score:5, Funny)
>Should publishers get a cut of the money, at least as long as their book is being scanned?
Definitely. Especially if the book has been out of print for decades and the publisher has no plans, and no interest, in every publishing fresh copies. We need to keep the revenue going to the people it's always gone to!
Re:Obligatory xkcd (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Obligatory xkcd (Score:0, Funny)
I'll meet your Obligatory Penny Arcade and raise you one Goatse [goatse.fr], good sir.
Re:Google's monopoly (Score:2, Funny)
No need to apologise, we understand, if Google ever found out your Slashdot ID there'd be serious consequences...