The recent “fair use” victory for Google allows Google Search to use the content of +20 million of books which may reshape copyright content on the Internet forever. Google Books “fair use” expands the scope of search engines without infringing copyrights even though the libraries who contributed the +20 million of books cannot make copies based on Judge Chin’s November 14, 2013 order granting Google’s Motion for Summary Judgment against the Authors Guild.
This is not over yet for a couple of reasons. First, there will be an appeal of Judge Chin’s order, and second there are other parties in the lawsuit which still pends since Judge Chin’s ruling was only regarding the Authors Guild. In 2010, the American Society of Media Photographers created another class and joined the Authors Guild existing case against Google. Their class action was brought on behalf of photographers and graphic artists and includes the Graphic Artists Guild, the Picture Archive Council of America, the North American Nature Photography Association and Professional Photographers of America.
To learn more about how the impact of “fair use” on Google Search please read my eCommerce Times column “There’s a New Fair Use Law in Town.”