German publishers criticize new Google Books deal
Frankfurt – German book publishers – angered at being included in the Google Books Settlement without being consulted – voiced concern Sunday that they had now been excluded.
The US search giant and US publishers announced Friday that the revolutionary plan to put every out-of-print book in the world on the internet was now being limited to books from only four nations: the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia.
Gottfried Honnefelder, chairman of the Boersenverein, the German booksellers’ and publishers association, predicted this would reinforce the global dominance of the English language.
Speaking to German radio channel Deutschlandradio Kultur, he said, ‘Progress is now passing us by.’ …
(Via MonstersandCritics.com.)
Oh dear.
