[MCN-L] IP SIG: Harvard opts out of Google settlement
via Peter Brantley: Harvard has ultimately decided not to participate on the terms reached by the libraries involved in the settlement discussions. from the Harvard Crimson - Harvard University Library will not take part in Google?s book scanning project for in-copyright works after finding the terms of its landmark $125 million settlement regarding copyrighted materials unsatisfactory, University officials said yesterday. Harvard had been one of five academic libraries?along with Stanford, Oxford, Michigan, and the New York Public Library?to partner with Google when the book scanning initiative was announced in October 2004. University officials said that Harvard would continue its policy of only allowing Google to scan books whose copyrights have expired. ... In a letter released to library staff, University Library Director Robert C. Darnton ?60 said that uncertainties in the settlement made it impossible for HUL to participate. ?As we understand it, the settlement contains too many potential limitations on access to and use of the books by members of the higher education community and by patrons of public libraries,? Darnton wrote. ?The settlement provides no assurance that the prices charged for access will be reasonable,? Darnton added, ?especially since the subscription services will have no real competitors [and] the scope of access to the digitized books is in various ways both limited and uncertain.? He also said that the quality of the books may be a cause for concern, as ?in many cases will be missing photographs, illustrations and other pictorial works, which will reduce their utility for research and education.? ___ Also: http://madisonian.net/2008/10/31/google-book-search-deal-will-the-prices-be-all-right/
[MCN-L] Mobile projects in libraries? An update before MCN?
Dear MCN, My name is Richard Smith. I am a professor in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver. I have been working on a small project - sponsored by Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) - to update what we know about mobiles and wireless technologies (hardware, software, applications, projects...) in museums. I have been doing some interviews, and a literature review, but would welcome a chance to get updates on as many mobile / wireless projects that involve museums and galleries. Since many of you will be at MCN (and, sadly I won't be - although Sheila Carey from CHIN will be there) and perhaps thinking about mobile projects, perhaps you could take a few minutes to fill in this survey: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=ppkLgpKY_guLZID1D7FNmSQ Once I get a few responses, I will make the results available via this list. I have also been collecting - via Delicious.com - a list of online resources. Any suggestions you have for that would be most welcome (via email or directly via delicious). The list is here: http://delicious.com/richard_k_smith/chin Finally, if you would be willing to be interviewed about your project, there is a box at the end of the survey that asks for an email address, or you can just send it directly to me (smith at sfu.ca). Thanks in advance for contributing to this project. -- Richard Smith, Professor, School of Communication Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, CANADA V6B 5K3 Phone: 778 782 5116 Web: http://www.sfu.ca/~smith
[MCN-L] IP SIG: Harvard opts out of Google settlement
I may be wrong but I thought authors and publishers could leave pricing up to Google or choose to price their own books-- something I'll look into again, after seeing the piece below. Assuming the settlement is approved by the district court, we will then all see it being interpreted and implemented. A few thoughts at this point that concern me relate to the Registry. What will be its administrative fees, distribution schemes and how will it deal with non-Registry members? The Registry will not be subject to statutory control and that may raise a host of other issues. Lastly, Google will give the registry seed money but what happens when that is gone...will they really be able to collect sufficient money from usage fees and subscriptions? Lesley Lesley Ellen Harris lesley @ copyrightlaws.com www.copyrightlawscom.blogspot.com - Original Message - From: akes...@imj.org.il To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 1:04 AM Subject: [MCN-L] IP SIG: Harvard opts out of Google settlement via Peter Brantley: Harvard has ultimately decided not to participate on the terms reached by the libraries involved in the settlement discussions. from the Harvard Crimson - Harvard University Library will not take part in Google?s book scanning project for in-copyright works after finding the terms of its landmark $125 million settlement regarding copyrighted materials unsatisfactory, University officials said yesterday. Harvard had been one of five academic libraries?along with Stanford, Oxford, Michigan, and the New York Public Library?to partner with Google when the book scanning initiative was announced in October 2004. University officials said that Harvard would continue its policy of only allowing Google to scan books whose copyrights have expired. ... In a letter released to library staff, University Library Director Robert C. Darnton ?60 said that uncertainties in the settlement made it impossible for HUL to participate. ?As we understand it, the settlement contains too many potential limitations on access to and use of the books by members of the higher education community and by patrons of public libraries,? Darnton wrote. ?The settlement provides no assurance that the prices charged for access will be reasonable,? Darnton added, ?especially since the subscription services will have no real competitors [and] the scope of access to the digitized books is in various ways both limited and uncertain.? He also said that the quality of the books may be a cause for concern, as ?in many cases will be missing photographs, illustrations and other pictorial works, which will reduce their utility for research and education.? ___ Also: http://madisonian.net/2008/10/31/google-book-search-deal-will-the-prices-be-all-right/ ___ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l
[MCN-L] Google Book Settlement: Business Trumps Fair Use
Remember Don't be evil? By settling a lawsuit with book authors and publishers this week, Google http://www.pcworld.com/tags/Google+Inc..html is looking out for itself and has avoided fighting for and possibly establishing a positive legal precedent for copyright fair use on the Internet... As an academic and a fair use advocate, I was somewhat disappointed the case got settled. I had been hoping to see it as a test of the boundaries of fair use, as a chance for the court to describe more specifically the scope of fair use here, said Wendy Seltzer, a fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society http://www.pcworld.com/tags/Berkman+Centre+for+Internet+%26+Society.html... Google has quite effectively solidified with this settlement its position as a leading search company and effectively excluded lots of others from following in its footsteps. A court judgement in favor of fair use would have let anyone else go in and make similar fair uses, Seltzer said. This settlement sets a pretty high fee on making those uses. In other words, Google saw the opportunity to settle in these terms as a key move for its business strategy, one valuable enough to sacrifice a greater good for Internet companies everywhere. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/153085/in_google_book_settlement_business_trumps_ideals.html
