Google appeals French court ruling
Google has appealed a French court decision that ordered the US giant to stop digitising French books without publishers' approval, and pay a fine, reports the AFP.
According to its lawyer, "Google lodged an appeal on January 21" of the Paris court's verdict in late December that also ordered it to pay €300,000 in damages to publishers. Google said at the time of the verdict that it planned to appeal.
The ruling capped a three-year-old case brought by one of France's biggest publishing houses, Les Editions du Seuil, which claimed that thousands of its works had been digitised by Google without consent. It had been seeking €15m in reparations.
Barbara Casassus writes: Google has appealed the principle of the verdict on copyright infringement by displaying fair use short excepts in its index and the order to publish the verdict on its French website Google Livres, a Google official told The Bookseller.
The company will pay the €300,000 in damages demanded by the court, but it will not pay the fine of €10,000 for each day that La Martinière titles remain in its database, the official added. "This is because we will withdraw the 120 titles listed in an annex to the court ruling."
Meanwhile, Google maintains its opt-out position and continues to scan La Martinière books in the absence of the publisher’s demand to exclude any specific titles, the official acknowledged. It also continues to negotiate with a few French publishers, including La Martinière. Its chief executive Hervé de la Martinière has consistently said he is in favour of holding discussions with the American group.
