Supreme Court affirms Google Books scans of copyrighted works are fair use

TechCrunch ^ | 04.18.2016 | Devin Coldewey

[dware]

A Supreme Court order issued today closes the book on (or perhaps merely ends this chapter of) more than a decade of legal warfare between Google and the Authors Guild over the legality of the former’s scanning without permission of millions of copyrighted books. And the final word is: it’s fair use.

The order is just an item in a long list of other orders that appeared today, and adds nothing to the argument except the tacit approval of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals 2015 decision — itself approving an even earlier decision, that of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2013. So in a way, it’s old news.

[Bob434]

so our ‘scans of music’ and put onto DVD’s is ‘fair use’ then too huh?

[MarvinStinson]

“if tomorrow’s authors cannot make a living from their work, only the independently wealthy or the subsidized will be able to pursue a career in writing,”

[Bob434]

basically what is going to happen is that an author writes a book- takes years to do so or whatever- google has soemoen take 10 minutes or so to automatically scan the work, and offer it for free online, for now, with the eventual thought of charging to read the online content- meaning hte actual author will be udnersold for his OWN work and be bankrupted after having done all that work while google becoems rich after having done hardly any work

Gee what a swell racket! Have soemoen else do all the hard work first, then swoop in and steal the work and sell it to enrich yourself at their expense-

And hte courts ruled this action legal? Theft is now legal?

[VanShuyten]

There were a lot of decisions released today. I assume most of them were procedural, but I don’t know.

Are there any FReepers out there that keep track of this stuff and can sift through those for anything important? Is there a Supreme Court ping list?

[ptsal]

Only ambush writing will pay in the future.

[dware]

Is there a Supreme Court ping list?

There is indeed a SCOTUS ping list. I'm sure BuckeyeTexan would be happy to add you to it!

[stephenjohnbanker]

We are a nation that is now lawless, so oh well..........

[BuckeyeTexan]

Thanks, d.

[tophat9000]

But a copy of software for your own backup is not

[Steamburg]

To scan or not to scan now gives Google the Sword of Damocles to hang over any author with whom they disagree.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Multi-billion dollar corporation able to skirt copyright laws, able to own something like Youtube which has just about every piece of music ever recorded on that site for anyone to download, yes no corruption going on in this government, but let’s all bash Trump for daring to rebel against these slime bags. Oh you WILL buy this company’s health insurance or we WILL punish you, yes that is perfectly OK but the guy who goes against these establishment fascists is Hitler.

[RicocheT]

I have not read the SCOTUS order or the case it may refer to, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I think the Court says a Google link to a scanned book (by a 3rd party or maybe even Google) available online does not infringe on copyright as a scanned book is not the same as the book/hardcopy as long as you don’t pay money to access the link. What the court seems to ignore is Google makes money on the number of clicks as Google inserts ads on most pages we view or get to via a click.

Meanwhile, the original author and publisher starve.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[BuckeyeTexan]

FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list.

[ml/nj]

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Look. I like free books.

But anyone who sided with Google in this case needs to be impeached and removed from the Court. (I say this with no clue how anyone voted.)

ML/NJ

[Dr.Deth]

So... we don’t need excerpts anymore? :D

[FirstFlaBn]

It’s not a copyright violation to scan a book and post it in its entirety online for free, but Free Republic can’t post entire newspaper articles. Huh?

What if a newspaper serialized a new book? Would that mean Google could put it on the internet, but FR couldn’t?

[dware]

So... we don’t need excerpts anymore? :D

That was my thinking too. Lol

[SamAdams76]

“if tomorrow’s authors cannot make a living from their work, only the independently wealthy or the subsidized will be able to pursue a career in writing,”

I don't think we have to worry about a shortage of books anytime soon. It will take multiple lifetimes to even skim what is available in printed form today.

The Google scans serve a valuable purpose in allowing the millions of publications available to be indexed and searched. In fact, many authors will benefit by having their works found which might otherwise have been lost forever.