[pd-discuss] googlebooks: the strange case of public domain books left in snippet view (for years and ignoring users complaints)

Wed Jun 27 12:24:09 UTC 2012

Hi,
I, too, have been using the google link to report to google a public domain title. What is *even* more odd in this instance, is that I accessed this text in *full view* in google books during January 2012 as part of my PhD research, only to return to it in February to find that it had been *removed* from public view and turned into *no view*. 

The irony being additionally, that the title I was trying to access/had previously accessed  was about public libraries and access to knowledge. The title *is* in public domain as it was published in 1848 (this edition). I have luckily been able to find another original copy of this title, due to my 'academic' access, but this does not remove the issue that this title was at first public domain and then removed by google from this view (and they have since not responded to any of my reports re this title, which I too have sent monthly)

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=blxzuAAACAAJ&dq=letter+to+earl+ellesmere+edward+edwards&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iPjqT92QAebM0QXMurDRBQ&redir_esc=y

'A Letter to the Right Honourable The Earl of Ellesmere, Chairman of Her majesty's Commission of Inquiry into the Management of the British Museum on the desirability of a better provision of public library in the british empire etc'. Edward Edwards, London, 1848, T.C. Savill, Printer, Covent Garden

On 27 Jun 2012, at 12:58, John Hendrik Weitzmann wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> @dingodog: Can you provide me with a list of Books for which Google is doing this nonsense? I could try to play that via the legal dept. of Google Germany where I know some people. Sometimes this works.
> 
> Best
> John
> 
> 
> On 27.06.2012 12:34, dingodog at fastmail.fm wrote:
>> I would not ask to googlebooks to unlock PUBLIC DOMAIN BOOKS if it had
>> not a link at bottom of every digitized book
>> 
>> http://books.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=180577&hl=en&url=http://books.google.en/books?id=W84OAAAAIAAJ&hl=en&v=W84OAAAAIAAJ&is=atb
>> 
>> with following options to report problems:
>> 
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Which of the following best describes the issue you'd like to report?
>> 
>>     * An error in the display of book pages
>>     * An error in the written description or "About this Book" page
>>     * This book is in the public domain and should be displayed in Full
>>     View
>>     * Report illegal or offensive content
>>     * File a notice of infringement (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)
>>     * My issue is not listed above
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> note the: * This book is in the public domain and should be displayed in
>> Full View*
>> 
>> 
>> so, googlebooks is joking their users? Why it ignores complaints? This
>> behavior is very disrespectful for a company saying in its motto: *don't
>> be evil...*
>> 
>> Hathitrust replies to complaints in a couple of days and if the book
>> reported is in public domain, and was wrongly classified as *limited
>> preview* in a couple of days the book is unlocked for full view. So,
>> there is something strange with google and public domain books, I'm
>> reporting the same book as in public domain (it effectively is in public
>> domain since 1994), since 2009!!!
>> 
>> Today there is too many difference between legal protection of
>> copyrighted works and protection of public domain works
>> 
>> copyright system is pumped by money, while public domain not
>> 
>> I think Google should be sued for locking for years public domain books
>> ignoring users complaints for years (no answers of any kind, no replies)
>> 
>> on the other hand, unlocking public domain books and read users
>> complaints about public domain works erroneously settled in snippet
>> view, would be convenient also for google!
>> 
>> it could:
>> 
>> - show more ads based on content of books, once unlocked
>> - allow reprints trough qoop or expressobookmachine (partnered with
>> google) - http://net.ondemandbooks.com/ and gain, as far I know, a
>> percentage on sells
>> 
>> just adding to this url http://net.ondemandbooks.com/ the identifier of
>> google scanned book in public domain, you are able to have an hardcopy
>> of this book
>> 
>> like http://net.ondemandbooks.com/google/uaQ5AAAAcAAJ
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Wed, Jun 27, 2012, at 10:03 AM, Maarten Zeinstra wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> You are absolutely right stating that these books should be made freely
>>> available for all. However, this is not mandatory.
> 
> 
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