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NEW YORK, Sep 21, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A U.S. authors group sued Google in New York charging "massive copyright infringement" over its Google Print Library online program.
The federal lawsuit filed by the Authors Guild along with individuals Daniel Hoffman, Betty Miles and Herbert Mitgang, seeks class-action status, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The suit is the first since Google announced its Google Print Library program aimed at compiling a searchable online library of all the printed books in the world, the Times said.
Hoffman, Miles and Mitgang said in the suit they have at least one copyrighted book at the library at the University of Michigan, one of three schools participating in the initial Google program.
The suit seeks an injunction stopping Google from copying any more copyrighted materials, a declaration that the program violates copyright law and damages from any violations so far.
Google issued a statement in response to the suit, saying it respected copyrights. It has contended from the start that its program falls under the "fair use" provision of the Copyright Act.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
