John
09-05-2009, 08:15 AM
Amazon now finds itself the target of harsh criticism after filing an objection to the Google Book Search settlement.
Just days after Amazon filed the complaint in US court, the Authors Guild, which agreed to the original settlement with Google, issued a statement condemning Amazon.
The statement was poignantly titled "Amazon accuses someone else of monopolizing bookselling," a reference to the company's dominant position in the online retail sector.
"Amazon's hypocrisy is breathtaking," the Authors Guild said in the statement, which then goes on to accuse the company of trying to take over the e-book market by selling titles at a loss in order to gain market share.
"Eventually, when enough readers are locked in to its Kindle, everyone in the industry expects Amazon to squeeze publishers and authors," said the Guild.
"The results could be devastating for the economics of authorship."
Amazon suggested in its filing that the deal would allow Google to monopolize much of the market and take control of royalties for so-called 'orphan' titles in which no author or estate is present to collect royalties. By contrast, the Guild suggests that the deal will not give Google any exclusive rights and will many out-of-print books to be re-issued.
"The agreement opens new markets, and that's a good thing for readers and authors," said the Guild.
"It offers to make millions upon millions of out-of-print books available for free online viewing at 16,500 public library buildings and more than 4,000 colleges and universities, and that's a great thing for readers, students and scholars."
Just days after Amazon filed the complaint in US court, the Authors Guild, which agreed to the original settlement with Google, issued a statement condemning Amazon.
The statement was poignantly titled "Amazon accuses someone else of monopolizing bookselling," a reference to the company's dominant position in the online retail sector.
"Amazon's hypocrisy is breathtaking," the Authors Guild said in the statement, which then goes on to accuse the company of trying to take over the e-book market by selling titles at a loss in order to gain market share.
"Eventually, when enough readers are locked in to its Kindle, everyone in the industry expects Amazon to squeeze publishers and authors," said the Guild.
"The results could be devastating for the economics of authorship."
Amazon suggested in its filing that the deal would allow Google to monopolize much of the market and take control of royalties for so-called 'orphan' titles in which no author or estate is present to collect royalties. By contrast, the Guild suggests that the deal will not give Google any exclusive rights and will many out-of-print books to be re-issued.
"The agreement opens new markets, and that's a good thing for readers and authors," said the Guild.
"It offers to make millions upon millions of out-of-print books available for free online viewing at 16,500 public library buildings and more than 4,000 colleges and universities, and that's a great thing for readers, students and scholars."