Random House Pushes Back
November 21, 2005
Google Print, aka, Google Book Search, is not without its challengers. Authors have sued, publishers have sued, and now publishing giant Random House has essentially said, “thanks, but no thanks.”
(For some background, the blog, DigitalKoans, has a useful bibliography.)
I called Random House, but they wouldn’t comment on the details of any relationship, so what I am about to say is purely speculation. But it seems to me that Random House is saying the digitization and control of their books is their job, and not Google’s, and I wonder if this might play out in a certain way.
1. They opt out of the Google program and do their own digitization.
2. They post their digital files on a public web site for wide searching but controlled distribution.
3. They make their own arrangement with Google Book Search, offering limited rights to their own digitized files—or not. They would already be in organic Google results, and Google wouldn’t shut them out because they’re Random House and represent too much of the book business.
That seems to the kind of control Random House is aiming at. This gives them organic search results in Google, with the specific Book Search results as well, if they want them. It also has the effect of calling Google’s bluff. I mean, if Google is only doing this for altruistic reasons, why not let the publishers do their own digitization?
This makes a lot of sense to me. And, Random House aside, I would certainly take this approach if I were a publisher. Publishers have compelling reasons to digitize anyway—for marketing purposes alone, even if eBooks continue to yield small revenues. And the options for digitizing seem to be getting cheaper by the minute. If I’m a publisher, why should I cede the business to Google?
Posted by Bill Trippe at November 21, 2005 4:32 PM
