Google Books Between the Copyright Rock and the Antitrust Hard Place
As reported here, Google has heroically been trying to negotiate the rights to scan and make available "millions of out-of-print books." I.e., to solve a problem caused by the state's copyright law. But the "$125 million agreement between Google and U.S. authors and publishers is being renegotiated," because "the U.S. government said it seemed the agreement would violate antitrust laws." In other words, if you try to work around one state-granted monopoly (copyright), they'll stop you by accusing you of violating state anti-monopoly law. Unbelievable. The state does nothing but destroy.
Comments (8)
Abhilash Nambiar
I think google can win this one. Hopefully this will be just a speedbump.
Published: October 7, 2009 10:50 AM
Jamie
The US rarely cares about the monopolies that are truly destroying this country; preferring, instead, to focus on things like these. I think Google is smart, innovative, and competitive, in a country that seems to only reward greed and waste. This is a real sham(e).
Published: October 7, 2009 11:05 AM
Slim934
Indeed. The only monopolies the US likes are the ones that either it operates or the ones that lets the government wet their collective beak.
Published: October 7, 2009 11:15 AM
HL
Atlas should shrug.
Published: October 7, 2009 11:15 AM
Ball
"I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it further..."
Published: October 7, 2009 4:11 PM
bob
It's a chicken-egg scenario. How can any company create a new product if doing so necessarily gives them a monopoly in that market?
Published: October 7, 2009 4:24 PM
newson
to bob:
in many cases first-to-market has a while before economic rents are competed away by imitators.
where the product can be copied digitally, new product delivery systems will be adopted (subscription, prepaid, sinking fund etc) in order to recoup. that's called entrepreneurship.
Published: October 7, 2009 7:44 PM
Daniel
Unbelievable?
If only that were true... Same s*t, different club of a*holes.
Published: October 8, 2009 7:01 AM