France Likely To Work with Google on Digitization
Still, sticking point regarding exclusivity
-- Library Journal, 01/14/2010
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- Gallica database lags
- Expert panel recomments Google
- Negotiations necessary
Just last month, we learned that France, one of the most vociferous objectors to Google’s library scan plan would commit nearly $1.1 billion to scanning French literary works, audiovisual archives, and historical documents.
Still, France contemplated public-private digitization partnerships, and allowed that Google might be involved. Indeed, now we learn that Google likely will be involved, thanks to what the International Herald Tribune calls “a new carrot and stick.”
The newspaper reported:
The [expert] panel proposed a partnership in which taxpayer money would be used to scan books from the national library and other public institutions; those would form the backbone of an upgraded version of the government’s existing digital book project, called Gallica. To add other works, the report recommended working with private companies like Google, whose digital book archive is by far the most comprehensive. Works could then be made available via both sites.
Unresolved issues
To do so, according to Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand, Google would have to agree that its arrangement is not exclusive, thus potentially ensuring that all digitized works wind up in all search engines. Also, Google would have to respect France's more restrictive notion of copyright.
But Google may be an inevitable partner, given that a government report shows that France's attempt at competition, the Gallica database, includes only 145,000 scanned books, lagging far behind Google.
And what’s the proposed stick? A tax on online advertising, which Google opposes.
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