Software and internet giants Microsoft and Yahoo have joined forces against Google, announcing they have joined the Open Book Alliance in an attempt to oppose the company’s book scanning efforts.
The Open Book Alliance, which reportedly also has Amazon as a member, is opposed to the “Google Book settlement” – a settlement made by Google earlier this year as a result of a lawsuit brought against the company by authors and publishers.
The authors and publishers opposed a move by Google to scan entire copies of books to make them digitally available through its website. The settlement details some compromises made by Google, but the Open Book Alliance says it doesn’t go far enough.
The alliance wants Google to offer online readers the same privacy given to offline readers, create an open registry system rather than one controlled by publishing groups and indemnification from copyright claims.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
