Google, Publishers Reach Settlement
After a seven year process, Google and the Association of American Publishers (AAP) announced an agreement providing hope for the future of the Google Library Project. In 2005 five publisher members of the AAP filed a lawsuit against Google claiming copyright infringement. This new agreement provides publishers with the option to allow their titles be to be digitized by Google and its Library Project, or to have them removed.
Google’s chief legal officer David Drummond said in a statement, “By putting this litigation with the publishers behind us, we can stay focused on our core mission and work to increase the number of books available ...” Tom Allen, president and CEO, of AAP said, “[This settlement] shows that digital services can provide innovative means to discover content while still respecting the rights of copyright-holders.”
