Skip to main content

Like to read? Google wins the right to legally scan books for the Web

After eight years of battling in court, Google has won the right to scan books and publish them online – for now.

U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin issued a decision on Thursday in New York, saying that Google Books, which provides Web users with access to previews and full versions of more than 20 million titles, is “highly transformative” due to the way it was implemented, and clearly falls into the copyright law’s exception for “fair use” because Google only provides “snippets” of copyrighted works for which it does not have publishing rights.

Recommended Videos

Chin went on to say that “Google Books provides significant public benefits” and would serve as “an essential research tool.” Chin added that Google Books “advances the progress of the arts and sciences, while maintaining respectful consideration for the rights of authors and other creative individuals, and without adversely impacting the rights of copyright holders.”

Google, of course, agrees.

“This has been a long road and we are absolutely delighted with today’s judgement,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement. “As we have long said Google Books is in compliance with copyright law and acts like a card catalog for the digital age – giving users the ability to find books to buy or borrow.”

The law does place some limitations on Google Books. For example, Google is not permitted to sell advertising on, or charge access to, Google Books. However, third parties may use the scanned book data for free without fear of falling on the wrong side of law.

Librarians and scholars view the decision as a major win, and, as GigaOm reports, their support in the case likely pushed the verdict in Google’s favor. The pro-copyright Author’s Guild, which brought the suit against Google, views the decision as a blow to writers and publishers.

“We disagree with and are disappointed by the court’s decision today. This case presents a fundamental challenge to copyright that merits review by a higher court,” said Author’s Guild Executive Director Paul Aiken in a statement. “Google made unauthorized digital editions of nearly all of the world’s valuable copyright-protected literature and profits from displaying those works. In our view, such mass digitization and exploitation far exceeds the bounds of the fair use defense.”

The Author’s Guild will likely appeal this decision. But for now, there are 20 million books out there just waiting for you to check out online.

Read Chin’s full decision below:

Google Books ruling on fair use.pdf by jeff_roberts881

[Image via pling/Shutterstock]

Andrew Couts
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content -- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs
A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.

Read more