The Google Library Project: Both Sides of the Story1
Google’s announcement that it will include in its
search database the full text of books from five of
the world’s leading research libraries has provoked
newspaper editorials, public debates, and two lawsuits.
Some of this attention can be attributed to
public fascination with any move taken by Google,
one of the most successful companies in the digital
economy. The sheer scale of the project and its
possible benefits for research have also captured the
public imagination. Finally, the controversy over
copyright issues has been fueled by Google’s willingness
to pursue this ambitious effort notwithstanding
the opposition of the publishing industry and
organizations representing authors. Much of the
press coverage, however, confuses the facts, and the
opposing sides often talk past each other without
engaging directly.2 This article will attempt to set
forth the facts and review the arguments in a systematic
manner.3 Although both sides have strong legal
arguments, the article concludes that the applicable
legal precedents support Google’s fair use