Google Debate

Google and the Book Publishers: Is the Age of Search bringing exciting new opportunities for publishers, or is it the beginning of the end (Google Debate) is a major online debate on the impact of digitisation technologies and web search tools on traditional book publishing.

The debate began on the 6th September 2005 and will take the form of specially commissioned contributions from leading figures in the international publishing and technology industries. Contributions and responses are also encouraged from booksellers, librarians, readers, intermediaries and other interested and affected parties.

Issues to be considered in the debate include:

Will the ability to read full the full text of books online destroy the printed works marketplace

Are online and offline separate marketplaces in which users/readers behave differently, or does one eventually have to supplement the other

Will print-on-demand and never out of print be factors in future marketplaces, and what is the role of search engines in relationship to them

What part will be played by an emerging mobile content marketplace, in which the nature of reading may change

Is it inevitable that the book industry follows the music industry into an illicit file transfer and download culture, and are Google and its peers facilitating this, or working to prevent it

Does copyright effectively govern publishings relationship with the online world, or do new licenses and rights need to be put in place to enable Google and publishers to co-exist

The debate is edited and moderated by Paul Carr, new media columnist for The Guardian and Editor in Chief of cross-media publishing company, The Friday Project. The debate is organised by the Publishers Association and It is hosted by Electronic Publishing Services.

=External links=

*[http://www.googledebate.com/ Google Debate Site] *[http://www.publishers.org.uk/ The Publishers Association] *[http://www.epsltd.com/ Electronic Publishing Services]