Publisher Group Drops Google Print

The latest rough patch in Google’s problematic Print For Libraries project arises as Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group (RPLG) is reported to be withdrawing from Google’s Print for Publishers program in protest of the digital library project.

The news comes this way via Brad Hill at the unofficialgoogleweblog.

After one RLPG’s authors, Jack Neusner, editor of 900 books, requested to opt out of the library project, RLPG says Google gave him the run-around.

Actually, “jump through hoops,” was the phrase chosen to describe the situation as the publishing group says Google is making Neusner prove he owns the rights to the books. Neusner is objecting to having his work scanned unless he is paid a fee.

RLPG, quick to back one of its authors, then decided to pull out of Google Print for Publishers, a project separate from and more commercial than Print Libraries, asking that all material scanned thus far be destroyed.

Hill says the information came via newsletter from Publishers Weekly and that it is not available on RLPG’s website. RLPG has published over 20,000 books since 1975.

The legality of Google’s digital library will be determined at the conclusion of the Author’s Guild’s lawsuit against the search company.