Comments on: Google Books and the Public Domain

By: Comet

Comet — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:20:54 +0000

For what it’s worth, the current copy of The Spiritual Ascent of Man on Google Books is copyright-free.

By: Muninn

Muninn — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:16:03 +0000

Hey thanks sis!

By: Carleen

Carleen — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 18:57:24 +0000

I think Owen has it about right. I think Google Book search sounds better than it really is. In their help section they repeatedly state that Full View is possible for books out of copyright. But they also constantly emphasize that the “aim of Google Book Search is to help you discover books and learn where to buy or borrow them, not read them from start to finish. It’s like going to a bookstore and browsing – with a Google twist.” Right, then.
I don’t really know for sure but maybe the problem with your book does have to do with the fact that it was re-published by another publisher in 2003. I think most of the scans currently provided by Google Book Search come from digitization projects at certain libraries. These titles will include a “find it at the library link.” There’s apparently a seperate publishers project still in the making (see Library Journal 1/15/06, hope html works in these comments). Maybe you’re book will be part of that, I really don’t know. Whole thing sounds squishy to me.

By: Owen

Owen — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:22:14 +0000

Hmmm… Google are funny aren’t they. Everything they do seems pretty damn good on the surface, but scratch it a little bit… I mean, it is a good thing that they’re doing this Google Book thing, but wouldn’t it be so much better if there was the funding and motivation for an international digital library project on a massive scale that was entirely not-for-profit? I know Project Gutenberg is doing this to an extent, but it obviously can’t match the spending power of Google.

By: jai kasturi

jai kasturi — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:45:57 +0000

those bastards!
its a googly googly googly googly world.