Comments on: Google Books: PDF Download Feature http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/ The Japan History Group Blog Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:45:05 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Muninn » Microsoft Book Search http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/comment-page-1/#comment-39164 Muninn » Microsoft Book Search Sat, 16 Dec 2006 17:31:57 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/#comment-39164 [...] I have at once lauded but also complained about severe flaws in Google’s book search in an earlier posting here at Muninn and also at a Frog in a Well posting. My two biggest complaints at this time are: [...] [...] I have at once lauded but also complained about severe flaws in Google’s book search in an earlier posting here at Muninn and also at a Frog in a Well posting. My two biggest complaints at this time are: [...]

]]> By: Roy Berman http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/comment-page-1/#comment-27209 Roy Berman Tue, 10 Oct 2006 05:43:18 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/#comment-27209 I emailed google about this through the bug report form, and I got a fairly speedy reply saying that they are aware of the problem, and certainly hope to only restrict people as much as necessary in the future. I can understand why they err on the side of caution, being already embroiled in publisher lawsuits related to this service, but I do hope that they manage to work out these issues someday. At least with the PDF download feature, when I do go back to the US I can save all the interesting-seeming books I can find on my hard drive, in case I can no longer access them when I go abroad once more. And of course, since those books ARE public domain, one could legally redistribute them, say as a torrent. I emailed google about this through the bug report form, and I got a fairly speedy reply saying that they are aware of the problem, and certainly hope to only restrict people as much as necessary in the future. I can understand why they err on the side of caution, being already embroiled in publisher lawsuits related to this service, but I do hope that they manage to work out these issues someday. At least with the PDF download feature, when I do go back to the US I can save all the interesting-seeming books I can find on my hard drive, in case I can no longer access them when I go abroad once more. And of course, since those books ARE public domain, one could legally redistribute them, say as a torrent.

]]> By: Jonathan Dresner http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25991 Jonathan Dresner Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:39:03 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/#comment-25991 It's not Google's fault, probably. It's copyright law, and Roy's right: there's a legal solution. But you run into trouble, then, from US Intellectual Property interests, which don't want international copyright standards (which are less stringent) applied to their US content, even overseas, so rather than do something clever which might get them into a fight, they're doing something stupid which only offends.... people. You think this is dumb? Try applying the law to braille materials.... It’s not Google’s fault, probably. It’s copyright law, and Roy’s right: there’s a legal solution. But you run into trouble, then, from US Intellectual Property interests, which don’t want international copyright standards (which are less stringent) applied to their US content, even overseas, so rather than do something clever which might get them into a fight, they’re doing something stupid which only offends…. people.

You think this is dumb? Try applying the law to braille materials….

]]> By: K. M. Lawson http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25988 K. M. Lawson Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:54:02 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/#comment-25988 If it is true that they have found some way of excluding everyone outside the US, this is very troubling... If it is true that they have found some way of excluding everyone outside the US, this is very troubling…

]]> By: Roy Berman http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/comment-page-1/#comment-25936 Roy Berman Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:30:34 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2006/09/google-books-pdf-download-feature/#comment-25936 I am unable to view any of these books at all. I get nothing but a one line summary and page count, with links to some bookstores on the side. Is book search currently limited to the US? I'm in Japan, and I know these books would also be considered public domain here. I suppose the solution would be for google to check the copyright date in the metadata of each item against the local public domain cutoff year instead of just limiting access to the entire contents of everything. I am unable to view any of these books at all. I get nothing but a one line summary and page count, with links to some bookstores on the side. Is book search currently limited to the US? I’m in Japan, and I know these books would also be considered public domain here. I suppose the solution would be for google to check the copyright date in the metadata of each item against the local public domain cutoff year instead of just limiting access to the entire contents of everything.

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