It looks like we won’t be able to park ourselves in front of our computer and read whatever books we feel like for days on end. That’s what we had planned if Google got its way and started to fulfill its goal of scanning all the books the world has to offer.
A federal judge shot down the settlement with authors and publishers to make millions of books available online. We understand the worries over copyrights and the power of the authors over their material, but we couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
With access to books no longer bound by the shackles of high costs, long distances or even the lack of physical existence, we could open up a new world of learning, especially for people in third-world countries.
Imagine the only library you’d ever need at your fingertips, and you’ll understand what Google is aiming for.
It sounds like a cockamamie dream, but the judge left the door open for the company to continue its quest after it revised the rights to better protect copyright holders.
That leaves the only concern of Google having a monopoly on books. If it violates anti-trust laws, the courts will have to reject the proposal again. We’re hoping others can get in on the book revolution, if only so we can read until our eyes bleed.
