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• Wednesday, November 9, 2005 07:45 AM

  fair use

  I am a novelist who depends on book sales for income. I have to say that when I first heard about this Google thing, I was fearful and annoyed, but now I don't really see it as that much different from the gray area that surrounds used books and library copies. I meet lots of readers who are on library waiting lists, waiting for my book rather than buying themselves a copy. I also autograph a lot of books that I know have been bought from used bookstores. All through the 19th century, one sold book was equivalent to fifteen "readers" because most people couldn't read, and looked forward to having the book read aloud to them. The fact is, exposure to a book can lead to a purchase, but no exposure to the book leads nowhere. Readers and purchasers are simply different. It's nice to have purchasers, but it's essential to have readers. I think Google users should be allowed to see what's in the book, and that Google should pay licensing fees. I don't believe these notions about the impracticability of finding the copyright owners--there are good faith attempts to do that sort of thing all the time, and there are escrow accounts where money can be stashed, etc. The problems can be worked out. I don't see why anyone would get worked up over an issue that is clearly on the way to being worked out.

  —cheerfulray Read cheerfulray's other letters
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