Open Book Alliance Gets Strength In Its Fight Against Google

The company Google has a world famous motto – “Do No Evil” for its functioning, that what Google claims but the Open Book Alliance (OBA) in the field of online book scanning does not agree to the Google’s word. The OBA which was founded by Internet Archive has raised a united voice for those who have the feeling that Google enjoys a special status in its settlement with the publishers of $125 million. The basic argument for the dispute is that where as Internet Archive the competitors of Google has to negotiate individually with the rights owners for individual contract, Google has the liberty to scan without paying; the payment is to be done as and when the author claims.

Until now in its fight against Google, the Open Book Alliance was not having any real corporate power. But recently Yahoo, Microsoft and Amazon have joined the alliance. With this now in the days to come the Open Book Alliance will be taken more seriously.  The matter is still pending with Department of Justice and the outcome of investigation yet to be completed; Google is finding itself in the midst of public battle for digital book rights. In recent times Google seems to make more enemies as compared to friends.

As per OBA, the focus is definitely in this matter on anti-competitive and anti-trust but equally worrisome is the commitment of Google to privacy. According to American Libraries Association the agreement does not say anything about what Google propose to do with the collected data, this is something very unclear as far as privacy is concerned.

Now the big issue is whether addition of Yahoo, Microsoft and Amazon into the alliance will balance the scale in the book scanning industry since till now the scales were highly tilted towards Google