Google Books

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== Google Books ==

Google Books is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition (OCR), and stored in its digital database. Books are provided either by publishers and authors through the Google Books Partner Program, or by Google's library partners through the Library Project.

History[edit | edit source]

The project was launched in 2004 under the name "Google Print". The initial goal was to make the world's books discoverable online and to provide a new way for people to find books of interest. In 2005, the service was renamed "Google Books".

Features[edit | edit source]

Google Books allows users to search for books by title, author, ISBN, or keywords. The service provides a variety of viewing options:

  • Snippet View: Shows a few sentences of text around the search term.
  • Preview: Allows users to view a limited number of pages from the book.
  • Full View: Available for books that are out of copyright, allowing users to read the entire book.

Users can also create personal libraries, add books to their collections, and write reviews.

Legal Issues[edit | edit source]

Google Books has faced several legal challenges, particularly concerning copyright. The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers filed lawsuits against Google, claiming that the scanning of books without permission constituted copyright infringement. In 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of Google, stating that the project was a "fair use" under U.S. copyright law.

Impact[edit | edit source]

Google Books has significantly impacted the way people access and discover books. It has made millions of books more accessible to the public, especially those that are out of print or difficult to find. The service has also been a valuable tool for researchers and academics, providing access to a vast array of information.

Criticism[edit | edit source]

Despite its benefits, Google Books has faced criticism for its handling of copyright issues and the quality of its OCR technology, which can sometimes result in errors in the digitized text. Additionally, some have raised concerns about the privacy of users' reading habits.

Also see[edit | edit source]

Google Books Template:Digital libraries

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