Internet giant Google got first dibs on Europe’s priceless documents starting with France. Google and Municipal Library of Lyon had come to an agreement to have the library’s antique books scanned for free within 10 years.  [source] This in turn will give Google the rights to the scans for use commercially for the next 25 years. [source] The antique books include a 16th-century edition of predictions by Nostradamus, Isaac Newton’s 17th-century scientific treatise “Principia” and a work by the French humourist Rabelais from the same period. [source]

I am torn in this new development. It is exciting that such rare and great books would be available online but these are priceless artifacts that should be handled with respect the utmost care.  It’s not like they’ll just be retyping words to create digital copies like what Project Gutenberg had started, making the accessible online for free.  Also, the fact that Google will have some sort of  rights to make money off the scans, possibly privately owning them. It is indeed a huge undertaking that the world, not just the French government, should be vigilantly watching closely.  I guess nothing is really for free these days.

Image from MorgueFile.com
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