Members of the European Union want to create a joint project on the digitization of books, French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said, challenging Google's plan to create a massive digital library.
EU ministers agreed in Brussels yesterday to create a committee of "wise men" to carve out a plan, Mitterrand said in an interview with French newspaper Journal du Dimanche due to be published today. He also said the digitization of books should not be left to private companies, and governments had to come up with appropriate policies.
Source: NY Post
Note: Remember, most non-English content from several countries (including France and Germany), was removed from the proposed Settlement 2.0. However, according to this Open Book Alliance press review, issues still remain. (see bottom of page)
Asked whether the ministers were in favour of the Google settlement, [Francois] Mitterrand said he could not comment for the moment.
"For my part, there isn't any anti-Americanism. Nevertheless, I believe America isn't a monolith, and different opinions must be expressed. That's why I don't want the State to surrender before the markets," he said.
"It's not up to this or that private group to decide policy on an issue as important as the digitisation of our global heritage. I'm not going to leave this decision up to simple laisser-faire," he added.
He said that Europeana, an EU platform for digitised books, archives and images, should play a more important role in the future and that ministers wanted to improve its funding.
Although these and other concessions took care of some issues raised by critics, others remain.
Potentially the most nettlesome [issue to remain] is the question of whether the parties in the settlement should have the right to speak for, and profit from, millions of absent copyright holders.
Critics have argued that Congress, not a private lawsuit in federal court, is the appropriate venue to settle the conflict because its outcome could alter the rights of many people who may not be aware of the case.
So even if Chin grants final approval, the settlement could remain mired in courts.
He said that Europeana, an EU platform for digitised books, archives and images, should play a more important role in the future and that ministers wanted to improve its funding.
French publishers have accused Google of exploiting their country's literary heritage and in September asked a Paris court to fine the Internet firm if it continues to digitise their books. The tribunal expects to reach a decision by December 18.
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