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Google Print Faces Copyright Challenge

Rarely does Google get called to task for its blithe infringements of copyright (such as the eight-billion-page cache of Web sites), but the company is now encountering resistance from the Association of American University Presses, whose member publishers often release books with nearly no commercial potential, counting on specialized and academic readerships for sales. the Association's feeling is that easy availability of content via Google print could damage those publishers. A letter from the AAUP to Google expresses confusion over Goog'e two plans: Google Print for Publishers and Google Print for Libraries. According to the letter, Google plans to digitize entire university libraries at Stanford, Michigan, and Harvard, and did not consult with academic publishers as it did when planning the Google Print for Publishers program. The AAUP disputes Google's claim of fair use, and demands to know hwo the material will be made available, and how it will be excerpted to users. The long, 16-point letter is getting play in Business Week, and represents what seems like a stumbling block to Google. but actually, the AAUP's complaint should be equally directed to libraries, which are handing over permissions on behalf of publishers.

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