Accessible summary of the Google books settlement

[islands]

There's a nice summary of the recent google books settlement, the arguments for and against etc, here
Read Around Research: Google Books - where things stand ...

Arguments against the Google Book settlement:

• Google will have a monopoly on the digitising of orphan works. The agreement is therefore anti-competitive.
• While Google's intentions at present are honourable, the cost of a subscription could potentially be raised in the future to the extent that libraries would be forced to cut costs elsewhere.
• Because the case was settled, the question of fair use was not resolved, nor was the broader question of privacy.


Arguments in favour of the Google Book settlement:

• Out of print books will once again be available, and authors will get some revenue from books which were no longer in print and no longer commercially available.
• The direct link from each Google Book record to local library catalogues and to booksellers online may result in increased use of libraries and an increase in book purchases.
• A recent agreement means that the libraries who have made their books available to Google will have a say in pricing, thus potentially avoiding unreasonable price rises.
• The initiative may in time remove the problem of orphan works, as copyright holders come forward to claim their books.
• Improved and increased access to an enormous research collection.