BERLIN, (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday criticised the efforts of Google Inc to build a massive digital library, saying the Internet should not be exempt from copyright laws.
In her weekly video podcast, before Tuesday’s opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Merkel appealed for more international cooperation on copyright protection and said her government opposed Google’s drive to scan libraries full of books.
“The German government has a clear position: copyrights have to be protected in the Internet,” Merkel said, adding there are “considerable dangers” for copyright protection in the Internet.
“That’s why we reject the scanning in of books without any copyright protection — like Google is doing. The government places a lot of weight on this position on copyrights to protect writers in Germany.”
Google has already digitised 10 million books.
Merkel, who will open the world’s largest book fair in Germany’s financial capital, said there was a need to discuss the issue in greater detail in international institutions.
She did not, however, offer any concrete solutions.
