The Authors Guild lost
the case, but is the same true for its members? In my opinion as an author and
writer, the Authors Guild’s position was contrary to the best interest of its
members. So when it lost, its members won.
How is the decision a win
for authors? As I said in last week’s post, the Goggle books search engine does
not substitute for the actual book. If the book seems to be helpful or
interesting to the searcher, the searcher will track it down at a library or
buy her own copy (assuming it is in print or readily available from second-hand
booksellers), and the search results provide purchasing links to make it easy. That
should result in more sales rather than less, particularly if the person was previously
unaware of the book. And even if the searcher doesn’t purchase a copy or can’t
find the book because it is out of print, the mere fact that it came up in a
search gets the author’s name out there. As an author, I consider it a win for
me.
I’m not alone, either. A
number of authors have allowed Google to use more extensive portions of their
books. Many think of it as free publicity.
The decision is also a
win for researchers, and that includes authors like me who do a lot of research
for their own books. If a book looks helpful, I will either purchase it or find
it at a library (and increased demand on libraries may create more purchases by
them). The search is one way to find things I wouldn’t have even know about
otherwise. It can also help me and other researchers rule out books that aren’t
helpful, saving valuable time. Even if I knew about the book in advance and now
rule it out because of poor writing or apparently shoddy research, that doesn’t
translate into a lost sale. If I can’t find out enough about a book, I’m
unlikely to risk my time or money on it anyway.
Anything that makes
access to information easier also benefits the public. So the public wins, too.
If you look only at the
case caption, you might decide that Google won and the Authors Guild lost. And
you’d be right.
But the real winners are
authors, researchers, and the public.
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