Google has come under yet another law suit after it scanned a Chinese author’s book into its library without getting approval. Chinese author Mian Mian brought the claim against Google after she discovered that her novel, Acid House, had been added to their library. After taking the matter to court, the Beijing judge hearing the trial asked that the two parties hold settlement talks.
Seeking damages equalling 61,000 yaun (£5,576), Mian Mian’s lawyer said that the result of the two-hour hearing had been for settlement talks to commence with no time limit put upon proceedings. Whilst Google added no comment further than saying that as soon as it received news of the lawsuit the book had been removed from its database, author Mian Mian asked for a public apology. Writing novels proving too risqué for the Chinese market, her books, including Candy and Panda Sex revolving around China’s nightlife and scene of drugs and sex, are critically acclaimed around the world.
Not alone in her suit against Google, the China Written Works Copyright Society are also looking for compensation from the global company after a number of other Chinese authors literature was uploaded. Meanwhile Google was ordered to pay 300,000 euros to La Martiniere after infringing upon copyright permissions and uploading works without approval, whilst in America they were ordered to pay $125m to publishers and authors after similar infringements were made.
