Caroline Vanderlip believes the escalating debate over Google Inc.’s plans for a vast Internet library of copyright-protected literature will yield enough compelling material to fill a book.
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That’s one reason why SharedBook Inc., a 5-year-old company run by Vanderlip, has set up a Web site so the supporters and opponents of Google’s digital book project can more easily post their opinions about a legal settlement that will help fulfill or possibly derail the Internet search leader’s ambitions.
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The site, http://www.gbs.sharedbook.com, is set to debut Thursday.
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Using SharedBook’s annotation tools, anyone will be able to comment on the complex settlement and other key court documents in a class-action lawsuit filed four years ago by authors and publishers. New York-based SharedBook plans to turn the dissertation into a book that will be sold at cost, Vanderlip said.
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We think this debate is a very important for the publishing industry, she said. There are enormous number of people discussing the pros and cons of this settlement.
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If the settlement wins federal court approval this fall, Google will emerge with the right to make digital copies of millions of copyright books no longer in print.
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While Google and its backers argue the settlement will help the publishing industry and society by making obscure books more accessible, critics contend it will concentrate too much power with a single company.
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The misgivings about the settlement have piqued the interest of the U.S. Justice Department, which is examining whether Google’s expanded control of digital books would thwart competition.
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Spurred by the protests about Google’s book settlement, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York has extended the deadline for objecting until Sept. 7. A hearing to approve the settlement is scheduled for Oct. 12.