Technology Briefs
Geoffrey Blain
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Technology
Google makes new offer to authors
Internet search giant Google Inc. has offered to ease control of over a million of copyright-protected digital books that it has ready to become part of its digital library.
Google is waiting for a court to review the offer, which comes two months after the US Justice Department turned down an agreement Google made with authors and publishers. Those against Google's plan argue that Google would have a monopoly on the sales of digital books and would be breaking competition laws.
The new agreement would give copyright holders more weight to decide whether or not to sell digital copies of their books if other versions are also being sold. Google will also dole out $125 million as a peace offering, and participating authors and publishers will be entitled to 63 per cent of sales.
This is the latest in Google's battle to digitalize the world's collection of written material that began with a class-action lawsuit filed against Google four years ago by authors and publishers who claimed that Google was infringing on their copyright.
Atlantis takes
Canadian experiment to orbit
Space shuttle Atlantis took off Nov. 16 for what will be NASA's final space flight of the year.
Atlantis' six astronauts, including Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, will be in orbit for 11 days for a mission intended to deliver 13,600 kilograms of spare parts to the International Space Station.
The mission is important for NASA as it attempts to deliver as much to the Space Station as possible before retiring the shuttle program and losing the shuttles' capability to carry large payloads. The shuttles are expected to be retired in less than a year, when they will be replaced with new spacecraft.
Some of the equipment will be used for a Canadian experiment, Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit, which will attempt to determine what effect gravity has, if any, on different types of wood. The study is funded by the Canadian Space Agency and is led by Rodney Savidge from the University of New Brunswick.
Internet search giant Google Inc. has offered to ease control of over a million of copyright-protected digital books that it has ready to become part of its digital library.
Google is waiting for a court to review the offer, which comes two months after the US Justice Department turned down an agreement Google made with authors and publishers. Those against Google's plan argue that Google would have a monopoly on the sales of digital books and would be breaking competition laws.
The new agreement would give copyright holders more weight to decide whether or not to sell digital copies of their books if other versions are also being sold. Google will also dole out $125 million as a peace offering, and participating authors and publishers will be entitled to 63 per cent of sales.
This is the latest in Google's battle to digitalize the world's collection of written material that began with a class-action lawsuit filed against Google four years ago by authors and publishers who claimed that Google was infringing on their copyright.
Atlantis takes
Canadian experiment to orbit
Space shuttle Atlantis took off Nov. 16 for what will be NASA's final space flight of the year.
Atlantis' six astronauts, including Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, will be in orbit for 11 days for a mission intended to deliver 13,600 kilograms of spare parts to the International Space Station.
The mission is important for NASA as it attempts to deliver as much to the Space Station as possible before retiring the shuttle program and losing the shuttles' capability to carry large payloads. The shuttles are expected to be retired in less than a year, when they will be replaced with new spacecraft.
Some of the equipment will be used for a Canadian experiment, Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit, which will attempt to determine what effect gravity has, if any, on different types of wood. The study is funded by the Canadian Space Agency and is led by Rodney Savidge from the University of New Brunswick.
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