PublisherTalk

Originally, Google Books Search was performed under a project known as the Library Project, where books from public libraries were digtized and made available for search. While this does not impact all of our clients, Google has recently proposed a settlement between Google Book Search and the publisher/author subclass. Basically, the argument was this: If Google indexes my book and displays it for free (and search-enabled), isn't this the same as taking my copyrighted work?

The settlement now creates two groups - Book Search and Partner Program. With Book Search, Google scans and indexes books the same as they have done before, usually without contacting rightsholders. These books are primarily in libraries. A book that belongs to a member of the Partner Program, however, cannot be indexed without the permission of one or more rightsholders.

Another thing that the settlement talks about is revenue and royalties. If your book was scanned as part of the "Library Project" phase of Google Book Search without your permission, then you may be owed royalties, and may be eligible to collect royalties later. To see if your book can be claimed, Google lists the following:

Click on "claim books and inserts" at http://www.googlebooksettlement.com/. See the question "How can I find out if my books and Inserts have already been digitized?" in the Google Book Settlement Help Center at http://www.googlebooksettlement.com/help/bin/answer.py?answer=134644. If you have ONIX files, also see the information on "How to Identify and Claim Books Using an ONIX File" at http://www.googlebooksettlement.com/help/bin/answer.py?answer=128054#onix.

The settlement is not approved yet, and until it is, Google will not display any book content, and after the settlement, some book content currently displayed under "Snippet View" will no longer be available in the US.

This is one reason why it's important to register your copyright as soon as possible. Even if your book is made available to search with Google Book Search, your work is still protected from plagiarism and/or unauthorized reproduction. Publisher Services can help you with registering - http://www.publisherservices-us.com/copyright.htm

To find more information about the settlement, you can visit http://www.googlebooksettlement.com/