LONDON: Google Inc. is understood to be in the process of finalizing a deal with some major global publishers on a project that will allow people to download entire books to computers or mobile phones.
According to a report in the Times, publishers like Penguin, Harper Collins and Simon &Schuster are among the publishers expected to be participating in the project.
The paper said with some 380 million people using Google each month, the proposal to offer books online could contribute to the development of e-books and will have an impact on the publishing industry and book retailers.
The paper quoted Jens Redmer, director of Google Book Search in Europe, as confirming the discussions and saying Google is working on a platform that will let publishers give readers full access to a book online.
The initiative will be part of Google's Book Search service and its partnership with publishers, which will make books searchable online with publishers' approval. At present, users can make a search and read a brief overview of the book and using links to sites like Amazon, buy the copies if they desire.
The project had got into a controversy as the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers have sued Google after it had concluded agreements with major universities to digitize their libraries and include the rare books there as part of the search. The authors and publishers argue that the project amounts to infringement of their copyright and Google should seek permission from them before scanning the books.
Google has clarified that under the project, books available in the public domain will have full texts put online. However, only a gist along with some basic background information on books will be given on those protected under copyright.
Meanwhile, Google announced it is expanding the library service to include nearly a million books from the University of Texas. The company said the university's library system has agreed to be a partner in the books search project.
The one million books from the University of Texas library, considered the fifth largest academic library in the United States, will now be digitized and made available to researchers and academics all over the world. The collections at the university include a set of rare books and manuscripts relating to Mexico. The university said these volumes will be made available to readers free of cost.
William Powers, president of the university, said creating digital access to the library collections will enable a great many more scholars and members of the public to locate and use these tremendously valuable materials.
Some major universities including Harvard and the University of Michigan are already partners in the project.
