DISQUS

Technology Liberation Front: Google Book Search deal = ASCAP / online collective licensing model for the future?

  • Adam Thierer · 1 year ago
    Looks like Google is indeed thinking along these lines about using this model for other forms of media. Check out this WSJ interview with Google co-founder Sergey Brin that was just posted about the book deal:

    [http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/10/28/googles-brin-on-books]

    WSJ: Why is Google only now creating a registry that will manage the rights around this content?

    Brin: "We did, off the bat, work to get everyone on board. We built the partnerships with the libraries. What this deal really allows for us to do is to deal with all these out-of-print works and orphaned works."

    WSJ: Is establishing a registry for rights holders a model that Google thinks it can replicate in other areas of digital media, like video?

    Brin: "Very much so. In fact, with video and our fingerprinting technology, we are essentially building the registry. We have a number of big media companies that send us their raw video files and we fingerprint that and we can attribute those videos to them."

    WSJ: What about in the music industry?

    Brin: "The music industry faces a lot of similar problems. There has been a lot of litigating and lack of trust, and it is not something that we have pursued much because there do seem to be other parties that are trying to sort it out. In general, we do want to be comprehensive and we have agreements with many music companies for music videos on YouTube. It is definitely something that is within our sphere".

    WSJ: Is Google going to start launching subscription services for other media in its search index, like photos or video?

    Brin: "When Google video started, we had both a free and paid model, but we deemphasized the paid model. I do support this idea that there are definitely high-value pieces of information that people are willing to pay for and buy, and [the payment model] should be up to the individual who produces it. I hope that we can broadly new model to more media types".
  • Adam Thierer · 1 year ago
    Additional thoughts on the deal from Susan Crawford and James Grimmelmann