US: Google Books saved in IP case

A judge sided with Google in a ruling last week that will allow the search giant to continue displaying scanned books in its online library database without permission, reports say.

US Circuit Judge Denny Chin gave Google a win in accepting the company’s defense that the display of books constituted “fair use” under intellectual property law. The case was launched in 2005 by various authors and publishers who claimed Google violated copyright laws with its digital library.

Judge Chin rejected a settlement offer of $125 million in 2011, ruling that it would give Google a “de facto monopoly” on scanning and displaying books. Chin eventually ruled that the publishers and authors could sue as a class, but earlier this year the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals said the judge did not adequately review the fair use defense before giving class action status.

The Authors Guild said it is disappointed in the decision and plans to appeal.

Google is facing new allegations by photographers and other imaging companies over its online database of images, with claims similar to the Google Books complaints.

Full Content: Newsday

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