Finnish authors regard Google’s book scanning project with suspicion

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In all probability, those Finnish scientists who publish works in English are also eligible for compensation from Google Book Search, the book scanning project of the Internet search engine Google.
      The same applies to all those authors whose English or Finnish books have been digitized from US libraries.
      Google has reached a settlement with the US book authors and publishers who sued over the company’s book-scanning project.
      Under the settlement terms, copyright holders will receive a lump sum per scanned book and some 60 per cent of ad revenue.
     
The size of payments has been negotiated for many years. Yesterday’s edition of the Finnish literary periodical Parnasso carried a notice to authors by Google, saying that even Finnish writers should take a stand on the settlement agreement between Google and the US authors and publishers.
      According to the Finnish Book Publishers' Association, the agreement applies to all Finnish authors whose works have been translated into or published in English, including academic science writers and popular novelists.
     
”A general recommendation is to study your own position carefully”, says Director Sakari Laiho of the Finnish Book Publishers' Association.
      According to Laiho, it cannot be said generally whether or not an individual writer should accept the settlement agreement reached by Google.
      The fact is that the books will be available on the Internet, and that there will be some compensation, while nobody knows the exact size of such remunerations, Laiho reports.
      On the other hand, thanks to Google Search many out-of-print books which have been difficult to find will now be available - at least in the USA. For the time being, the agreement does not apply to distribution outside the United States.
     
The Union of Finnish Writers is to handle the matter at its upcoming meeting.
      Novelist Tuula-Liina Varis, the chair of the Union, says that the issue has aroused some suspicions at the Union of Finnish Writers.
      Päivi Liedes, the Executive Manager of the Union of Finnish Writers, argues that the proposed agreement is strange in the Finnish circumstances.
      ”My assumption is that it is risky”, says Liedes.
      ”I will tell the authors that they should not give their permission. They can always join the agreement later”, Liedes states.
      The problem is that even though the current agreement applies only to the USA, it is possible that it will be extended later to cover a larger area, according to Liedes.
     
Kopiosto, the common copyright organisation of authors, publishers, and performing artists, is responsible for providing information on the issue in Finland. Executive Vice President Jukka-Pekka Timonen says that there are good reasons for both opposing and supporting the agreement.
      ”This agreement was not easy to reach. Google had to be forced to settle”, Timonen reports.
      In practice the agreement should give authors remunerations that are similar to the levies collected to makers and performers of music through the authorised distribution of music on the internet.
     
”One of the most important questions is whether the aim of this class action is to develop a worldwide US-based licence system. Will they start selling books worldwide through Google?” Timonen contemplates.
      Nevertheless, Timonen regards it as good that an agreement has been reached on the issue of copyright compensation for authors.
     
As a reply to Google’s undertaking, a European project has also been lauched in order to put together an European-wide digital library, Timonen reports.


Links:
  Finnish Book Publishers´ Association
  Union of Finnish Writers
  Kopiosto

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