EU OK with Google-Dutch Library deal

Brussels (AP) - The European Commission said Thursday he does not object against Google digitizing 160,000 books in the archives of the National Library of the Netherlands if they are made public.

EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said the Commission welcomes the digitization of materials from public libraries provided that "they are available to citizens of the EU and comply with copyright and competition laws.

Google said Wednesday it will scan more than 160,000 public domain books in the Dutch National Library and make them available through Google Books.

In out-of-copyright works from the 18th and 19th century will be accessible through the website of Library and Europeana, an online showcase of European culture.

Google has similar deals with cultural heritage department of the Italian and Austrian National Library.

The company in 2004 to digitalize all books in the world but has run into legal battles. It has made digital copies of more than 12 million books so far, but they are not publicly available because of a dispute outside print books still under copyright.

Google expects the U.S. federal court judge in a proposed settlement over digital rights out of print books. In U.S. Department of Justice, consumer groups and Google rivals guardian fear Google may get too much power in the digital book market.

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