The Google book deal that alienated thousands of writers by allowing uncontrolled digitized reproduction of their work will be renegotiated.
Google, the Authors Guild in the U.S. and the Association of American Publishers, all parties to the original 2008 deal, filed notice in a U.S. court Tuesday that they would reopen it.
They plan to work out a new scheme with the U.S. Department of Justice, which has expressed concern that Google's control of digitized books would violate antitrust law.
Their attorneys requested that a New York judge postpone a hearing into whether the $125-million US accord is fair so they have time to rework it.
Google gained vast rights to scan books and devised a system for paying authors and publishers that many say is inadequate.
The Justice Department has concerns that Google has too much power in determining whether a book will be scanned and how it will be sold online, and has raised questions about author compensation.
The U.S. Copyright Office, the European Union, Germany, France, five U.S. attorneys general, Microsoft, Yahoo! and Amazon are among those who have opposed the deal.
Some have objected to the book registry Google would create to handle payments, which would take over the function of copyright agencies. The registry also plans to hold onto fees where rights holders — usually the original author — can't be found.
With files from The Associated PressShare Tools
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