Arrêtez Google!: EU Reportedly Developing Joint Alternative To Book Project

According to Reuters, French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said the European Union intends to develop a plan to offer a public and pan-European alternative to Google’s book scanning project. The French, among others, filed formal objections and opposition to the Google Book Search settlement with the court in New York this past September.

An amended settlement was announced by Google and the other parties and given preliminary approval on November 19, 2009. Danny blogged the press conference associated with the announcement of the amended settlement agreement, which sought to address formal US Department of Justice objections and many of the opponents’ concerns.

It thus appears that opponents will be unable, through legal process, to stop the project from going forward — at least in the US. However in France itself a case is pending that would potentially fine Google and prevent the further digitizing of French books. The French court is reportedly set to rule on the matter on December 18.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He researches and writes about the connections between digital and offline commerce. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.