British Booksellers Association decries Google settlement
By Paul Biba
STATEMENT FROM THE BA
In response to the announcement in the US by The Authors Guild, The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Google on 28th October 2008 of a Settlement [see note at end] that would expand online access to millions of in-copyright books and other written materials in the US from the collections of a number of major U.S. libraries participating in Google Book Search, The Booksellers Association of the UK & Ireland Ltd (BA), on behalf of its membership, makes the following comment:Google is an undisputed global leader in content provision and offers a superb search service; it has revolutionised accessibility of content worldwide and created many other ground breaking online services. However, in respect of the latest announcement from the US and various reactions to it, the BA wishes to express some concerns about the future for digital content if the District Court in New York approves the proposed Settlement.
As such a dominant player in the online world, Google will now occupy a unique gateway position that, if abused, could easily create a de facto monopoly. A situation where competition is removed from the market place by placing the keys in the hands of one company cannot, ultimately, be good for the consumer. This is a bridge too far. Monopolies = reduced choice and higher prices.Many of our members in the UK and Ireland are already taking initiatives to participate in the digital book world. Our well received report, Brave New World, took the view that booksellers should embrace this future. However, it is the BA’s belief that if this ‘one-stop shop’ direct to consumer approach of Google comes to Europe, it will surely result in a world that is culturally poorer for the consumer. Such is Google’s strength, it is inevitable that in the long term, consumers would be denied a choice of channels as well as the customer experience of knowledgeable and interactive bookselling that does so much to build the debut authors, the little known poet, and the niche writer.
The BA would like to emphasise that progress in the dissemination of literature and knowledge is warmly welcomed by its membership, but believes that this recent agreement, if ever adopted in the UK and Ireland, would have a hugely damaging effect on the publishing and bookselling industry and, consequently, for authors and the public as well. We hope that those who have the ability to influence any similar UK agreements, will give them careful consideration.
Put simply, the BA membership cautions publishers, authors and other partners in the current retailing world that an over zealous embrace of this new Google initiative may well, in the long term, deliver a more limited route-to-market for books rather than the incremental benefits that seem to be the current perception. The online retailing world is still in development. Protecting the world that we know, while embracing the new, must be the sensible way forward.
Note to Editors
The proposed Settlement will enable users to browse or buy books online using Google Book Search, and in the case of out of copyright titles, to read an extract or the entire text. Under the provisional terms, US users will be able to search and preview the 7 million titles already scanned with the option to buy. A publisher has to give Google permission to offer these services for its in- print books, but with out of print books Google will continue to digitise titles unless a publisher elects to opt out.This Settlement, if approved, will not affect users outside the USA. However, the BA believes that whatever is agreed in America will soon end up in Europe and further afield.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Alas, another example of the publishing industry living in the past. Instead of trying to fight the inevitable tide that will result in most books being online, maybe the BA should actually start working to create their own digital library, similar to, but Google.
Ultimately what the publishers really seem to want to protect here is their role in marketing. How horrible it must be to them to think that books will be sold by bowsing and reading them as opposed to advertisements and media adds.
In reality, I am not overly worried about the restriction of access that the BA claims is the threat; The EU, like the USA, has anti-monopoly legislation.
Basically, the best thing publishers can do here is stop looking to the past and to truely race ahead to the future.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Doesn’t look to me like it’s the publishing industry that has the problem, but rather the bookselling industry, i.e. bookstores, which is quite another kettle of fish.
It’s easy to see how bookstore owners would feel threatened by Google suddenly offering the ability to buy any out-of-print book (that they’ve scanned) on demand, without any of that tedious rummaging around through/phoning bookstores to see if they’ve got one in stock.
But there’s no easy solution, and as the man said, just because you’ve made money in a market in the past doesn’t mean you have the God-given right to continue making it in the future if something better comes along.
As for their concern about Google having a monopoly, well, nothing’s stopping someone else with gobs of money from starting a competing service. They’d just have to negotiate similar terms with the Authors Guild (and whoever controls copyright in Europe).
I think their concerns about this Google Books deal coming to Europe may be a bit premature, however. I seem to recall hearing somewhere that out-of-print copyrights are a bit more complicated over in Europe, and even Google has been having some trouble plowing through the bureaucracy.
November 13th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Chris makes a great point, which can be extended a bit further. The entire publishing ecosystem is being disaggregated thanks to digital composition, hosting, and delivery technology, and many niches will not survive in their present form.
For me, the telling phrase in the BA statement is ‘this recent agreement…would have a hugely damaging effect on the publishing and bookselling industry and, consequently, for authors and the public as well ‘
In other words, they want you to think that if the booksellers ship goes down, it will take authors and readers along with it (Ah, fear, the oldest motivational tool in the box). Well, authors will continue to write (try and stop them) and people will, occasionally, read, and supply will continue to exceed demand - have no fear.