Monday, November 2, 2009

Chinese Writers Ask Copyright Compensation from Google

The China Written Works Copyright Society (CWWCS) will send a letter to Google China to discuss over the latter's compensations to Chinese writers relating to copyright.

Previously, Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reached an agreement in the US, which aimed to come up with a regulation for the emerging e-book industry. However, the agreement irritated writers and publishers in Europe, which forbade Google to print European books published within 150 years.

Some believe that Google's compromise with European writers and publishers is applicable to Chinese works. However, the CWWCS dose not agree with their opinion, pointed out its executive deputy secretary Zhang Hongbo.

The compromise says that writers will get one-time compensation and 63% of the sales revenues from the e-books produced on the basis of their works, if Google scans their publications without permission.

The CWWCS finds out that Google has violated the copyrights of 570 Chinese writers by printing their 17,000 books. Some of them have entrusted the CWWCS to protect their rights.