Microsoft V Google
Rivals Microsoft and Google are at loggerheads again, this time over perceived ‘copyrighting’ infringements.
An attack has been launched by Microsoft on the super-search engine Google’s book-scanning service, which is in direct competition to their own project, Live Search Books.
Whilst Microsoft claims to adhere strictly to regulations by only allowing users to access publications where the copyright is no longer in effect, they accuse Google of contravening the law by allowing copyright-protected materials to be viewed on their site.They compound this accusation by adding that such action cuts into publishers’ profits.
Google, while preparing to scan literally millions of books and publications from around the world, making them available to their users, defends their actions. They claim to be working within the international copyright parameters.
Google’s chief legal officer, Mr. David Drummond, said, “The result has been more exposure and in many cases, more revenue for authors, publishers and producers of content.”
Microsoft lawyer Mr. Thomas Rubin cited YouTube, purchase by Google last year, as a perfect example of the way in which Google operated with blatant infringement of copyrighting laws.
Many experts are of the opinion that this attack is just a continuation of the ongoing rivalry between the two Internet giants.