[LINK] What's Google? - Canberra Event, 9 Dec

[Roger Clarke]

GOOGLE Infinite Library, Copyright Pirate, or Monopolist?

FREE PUBLIC FORUM
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & LAW

Friday, 9 December 2005 12.00 noon - 2.00 pm
(followed by light refreshments)

Innovations Theatre, Innovations Building #124,
cnr Garran & Eggleston Roads, ANU

Please RSVP to:  nissl at anu.edu.au

This event is free and members of the public are welcome to attend.
Enquiries to: 6125 2906

GOOGLE

In the past year, there has been much debate about Google and the 
implications of the search engine's activities for  copyright law, 
privacy, and competition. In December 2004, Google announced that it 
had entered into agreements with  four university libraries and the 
New York Public Library to "digitally scan books from their 
collections so that users  worldwide can search them in Google." The 
search engine claimed that this would be an "expansion of the Google 
Print  program, which assists publishers in making books and other 
offl ine information searchable online."

In September and October 2005, the Authors Guild and the Association 
of American Publishers fi led lawsuits in  the United States, 
alleging that the Google Library program had infringed copyright in 
literary works through its  unauthorised scanning and copying of 
books.

In response, Google declared that it respected copyright: "The use we 
make of all the books we scan through the  Library Project is fully 
consistent with both the fair use doctrine under U.S. copyright law 
and the principles underlying  copyright law itself, which allow 
everything from parodies to excerpts in book reviews."

This Forum will explore the legal issues surrounding Google from the 
perspective of lawyers, librarians, authors,  publishers, and 
consumers. Will the search engine become an infi nite library? Is it 
the saviour of the public domain?  Or is Google violating the 
copyright of authors and publishers? Does the search engine respect 
privacy? Or does it  encourage surveillance? Does Google have the 
potential to become a monopolist? Or will the search engine provide 
much needed competition for Microsoft?

The Forum speakers and discussants include:
- Mr Chris Creswell  Consultant, Copyright Law Branch, Information 
Law &  Human Rights Division, Attorney-General's Department
- Mr Michael Handler  Lecturer, ACIPA, Faculty of Law, The Australian 
National University
- Ms Moyra McAllister  Copyright Offi cer, Australian Library & 
Information Association
- Dr Matthew Rimmer  Senior Lecturer, ACIPA, Faculty of Law, The 
Australian National University
- Ms Sarah Waladan  Executive Offi cer, Australian Digital Alliance, 
& Copyright Advisor, Australian Libraries Copyright Committee
- Mr Roger Clarke (tbc)  Visiting Professor, Faculty of Engineering & 
Information Technology, The Australian National University, and 
Xamax Consultancy

-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW