Google Sued For Possible Fair Use Violation

(Newswire.net — January 14, 2016) Cluj-Napoca, Cluj — After a long dispute between Google and The Author’s Guild, over copyright law and the legality of Google scanning and posting excerpts for its Google Books service rather than sell books, a case has officially been brought to the Supreme Court. The two groups have been fighting since 2005 over what qualifies as “fair use”, with the Authors Guild claiming that this violates copyright and undermines the value of the author’s work by providing their books online for free.

According to The Washington Post, Google and the Authors Guild worked out a settlement in 2011, which was then rejected by a district judge who claimed it was unfair to authors. The case then went to New York’s 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals in October, who sided with Google. According to Judge Pierre Leval, Google’s service does not lessen an author’s work because having parts of the books online does not provide a significant substitute to having the complete book and that Google was not benefiting off of its service. While The Authors Guild claims it does not want Google Books to be shut down, it does want Google to pay copyright fees.

Similarly, an author’s brand image is not only important to position, but could be at risk if one is not vigilant.

“Your writing creates emotion. Your personal brand does the same thing. Just like a book cover, your website design helps to create the initial emotional connection with readers,” claims Radu Balas founder of the website Publishing Addicts, which is dedicated to designing beautiful websites for authors from the ground up. “Your Author Website is your “home on the web” the place where everything comes together. Whether readers discover you on Facebook, Amazon, or in an airport’s gift shop, every time someone visits your website it’s an opportunity for you to make an emotional connection, sell a book, add a subscriber, and gain a fan. Authors who ignore the visual aspect of their writings are at risk at creating a boring brand. Those who use copywritten images, of course, are violating the law and are at risk of losing everything.”

“Our Author Website is loaded with all the tools an author needs to create an original brand and sell more books. In addition to creating 100% original content, most of our clients take advantage of our fully managed system. We take care of your website so you can focus on writing the next best seller,” states Balas.

For now, the dispute between the Authors Guild and Google may have a few moves left. Regardless of the outcome, authors must also be aware of how their words and brand are showcased. With the astronomical rise of digital publishing, it is likely we’ll see more gray areas between publishers and authors. As more readers search the internet to find a solution to their problem or looking for the next, most entertaining read, more opportunities for copyright issues will arise. Balas’s company http://publishingaddict.com is dedicated to making sure the website for your book is not only the first to appear on a web search but is 100% orginal and protected from copyright infringement. “We have worked with hundreds of authors and, after years and years of experience, we are proud to offer one of the most respected products in our industry, tailored for authors. Regardless of the genre, if a book is about public speaking, or the next Harry Potter, we create something unique to fit the author’s unique style,” says Balas.

Balas may be onto something. With a passion for unique, useful and engaging content, his clients can worry less about copyright issues or the heavy hand of Google.

###