US DoJ Says No To Revised Google Book Plans

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has voiced its objection to the Google Books deal which will allow search engine giant Google create a mammoth online library by scanning the literary works of authors across the world. 

The DoJ committee overseeing the proceedings of the deal’s review said that the revised version of the proposed plan failed to address the issues related to antitrust and copyright laws. 

Earlier, Amazon had protested to the Department of Justice that if Google got the permission to scan and upload books on the internet, it would lead to a monopoly as consumers will be attracted to a platform which boasts of having books from around the world. 

Commenting on the views put forward by the apex US government organisation, a DoJ spokesperson said in a statement that “The amended settlement agreement still confers significant and possibly anti-competitive advantages on Google as a single entity.” and added that the proposed deal put forward by Google will allow it to become “the only competitor in the digital marketplace with the rights to distribute and otherwise exploit a vast array of works in multiple formats.” 

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Ever since its launch, the Google Books project has run into several roadblocks in the form antitrust and copyright infringement lawsuits, including a fine of 300,000 Euros (£266,000) imposed on Google by a Paris court for scanning literary works of French authors without their permission.