Three French publishers - Gallimard, Flammarion and Albin Michel - have reportedly sued US-based Internet search services provider Google, Inc. for scanning their books for its online library without permission.
The publishers are demanding $14 billion as compensation. They claim that Google has scanned 9,797 copyright-protected works for its digital library.
In an e-mailed statement, Google said the company had been working with French publishers for some time to find ways to increase audiences and revenue opportunities for publishers, authors and booksellers. It believes the Google Books project complies with French law and international copyright rules.
In December 2009, a Paris court had said Google's book project violated French copyrights. It had then ordered the company to stop scanning works without permission. Six months ago, Google reached an agreement with Lagardere SCA (MMB)'s Hachette Livre publishing to allow the scanning of out-of-print French books.
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