The legality of Google's controversial project to scan
millions of library books is to be tested today for the first time
in a court outside the US.
French publishers will try to persuade a Paris court that
Google's book scanning project breaches France's copyright laws,
according to the
Financial Times.
Google reached a $125m settlement with US authors and publishers
and agreed to share profits to clear the way for the book scanning
project, but the agreement is yet to be reviewed by a US court.
The New York judge due to rule next month on the agreement has
received submissions from stakeholders on both sides of the
argument, including
opponents from Germany and France.
The French submission said the US agreement will undermine
French authors' rights and the German submission said it would
"irrevocably alter international copyright law".
Today's hearing in Paris comes two weeks after the
European Commission held hearings on the Google book project in
Brussels.
The French publishers are unhappy they were not consulted by
Google even though the millions of books already scanned in US
libraries include thousands of French titles.
The French publishers say the Pairs court case could be an
important legal victory, because it will be the first real test of
whether Google's book project breaches copyright law.
The EC is yet to report its findings to the European Parliament
which seeks to formulate a policy that will take Europe into the
digital library age without giving up control to US-based firms
like Google.