Google to talk with Chinese authors over copyrights

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-15 17:49

BEIJING: Search engine giant Google is to send a representative to China next week to talk with the country's copyright watchdog to cool down Chinese authors' heated complaints against the company over copyright violations, said a Google senior executive Sunday.

Daniel Alegre, Google's vice president of Asia Pacific Sales & Operations, told Xinhua on phone that he is not sure about whom but someone will go to China to "communicate" further with China Written Works Copyright Society (CWWCS) next week.

According to a rough estimate from CWWCS, nearly 18,000 books from 570 Chinese writers have been scanned by Google and included in its digital library, Google Books, opening only to Internet users in the United States. Most of the writers were not informed nor paid.

"So far, no writers we reached said he or she has authorized Google to do the scanning," said Zhang Hongbo, deputy director-general of CWWCS.

Google's infringement of Chinese authors' rights is very severe, Zhang said.

Daniel said it was understandable that Chinese authors were dissatisfied over the scanning of their works. He continued, due to the huge amount of books scanned, it was difficult to contact every author.

Internet users will only be able to find the books via Google, not for reading or downloading free of charge, Daniel added.

Google and copyright organizations, such as the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers, submitted a revised settlement agreement Saturday to a US court. But Daniel said the settlement does not apply to China, meaning Google will have to negotiate with Chinese authors in a separate case.

Google wished to communicate with a wider range of copyright organizations at the same time, Daniel added.