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Torching the Modern-Day Library of Alexandria
Article

Torching the Modern-Day Library of Alexandria

“Somewhere at Google there is a database containing 25 million books and nobody is allowed to read them.”

The Atlantic, 2017

автоматическое преобразование текста в аудио
автоматическое преобразование текста в аудио

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8

Qualities

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Recommendation

The original purpose of America’s copyright laws wasn’t necessarily to protect the interests of authors but, according to the US Constitution, “to promote the progress of science and useful arts.” Copyrights protect works until 50 years after the author’s death, at which point books become part of the public domain. Google has done the work to make many of those books available in one giant database, so why can’t you use it? getAbstract recommends this summary to bibliophiles, librarians and people interested in digital technology’s potential to democratize information.

Take-Aways

  • In 2004, Google began scanning the first of 25 million books, aiming to create the world’s largest library in one easily searched database.
  • Authors and publishers launched a class-action lawsuit to combat what they saw as “massive copyright infringement.”
  • Google, the authors, the publishers, and other parties devised an out-of-court, win-win-win settlement in which people gained digital access to books, authors received payment and Google could continue the project.        

About the Author

James Somers has written for The Atlantic, Outside Online, MIT Technology Review and Nautilus.


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