India concerned about Google Books’ possible encroachment of Indian authors’ copyrights

The government of India has reportedly expressed concerns before the US government about Google Books’ initiative that aims to create a digital library by scanning printed publications. In a meeting held recently in New Delhi, senior Indian officials told their US counterparts that the portal would encroach upon the copyrights of Indian authors and publishers.

At the root of India’s concern is the settlement worked out between Google and the Authors Guild that involves payment of $125 million to publishers and authors whose rights were encroached upon by Google. Under the agreement, authors and publishers will have to register their work to receive compensation. They also have an option to opt out of the scheme.

The key reason for India’s concern is that authors and publishers of the country are not aware of the agreement signed between Google, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers. Hence, authors in India may not be aware that their copyright has been violated. N S Gopalakrishnan, professor, School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science & Technology, believes that copyright of Indians should also be taken care in the settlement.

Google, on its part, maintains that it respects copyright laws. “If the book is in the public domain and therefore out of copyright, you can page through the entire book and even download it and read it offline. But if the book is under copyright, and the publisher or author is not part of the Partner Program, we only show basic information about the book, similar to a card catalogue, and, in some cases, a few snippets -- sentences of your search terms in context,” the company has said.