Authors Opt Out Of Google Books

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Japan authors opt out of Google deal
Google Inc.'s book-scanning program has angered Japanese authors who have suggested the search engine giant may be infringing copyrights. "It is unclear how much (authors) will receive in copyright royalties based on users' access," Shuntaro Tanikawa, a poet, said in Tokyo Thursday. "Google's way of operating is one-sided, and I find it arrogant." Writer Taku Miki called Google's program "cultural imperialism," because it removes authors' control over how their work is used online. The two are among 180 members of the Japan Visual Copyright Association who decided to opt out of the settlement deal following a U.S. class action suit filed in 2005.