DOJ Probes Google Online Books

June 10, 2009

Mountain View, California - In line with the government’s effort to protect copyrighted materials, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday sent demand letters which asked publishers about their agreement with Google Inc. that allowed the Internet giant to scan millions of books and provide digital version of these to users.

The DOJ sent civil investigative demands (CIDs) to publishers who are seeking to block Google’s online book service.

The DOJ said it is asking the publishers to send digital strategies, documents regarding the pricing, and conversations between them and authors which are relevant in the ongoing case.

In 2004, Google began scanning and digitalizing books, allowing users to read entries without having to pay. But one year after the release of this online book service, publishers and authors filed class action lawsuit against Google for allegedly violating copyright laws.