Luis Collado is director of Google Books and Google News in Spain and Portugal. As a spokesman for the online giant, he took part in the 3rd 'Challenges of Digital Publishing' Seminar in Barcelona on 25 September, an event organized by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) in conjunction with the 'La Caixa' Foundation. The Google Books project, which began in 2004, boasts some impressive figures. It involves 30 million scanned books from approximately 100 countries, in more than 400 languages, from 42 libraries across the world (including the Library of Catalonia), representing the output of over 4,500 publishers and authors. In this interview, Collado talks about the project in question and the current digital revolution, which Google is leading.
Google's approach to its virtual library has caused controversy regarding copyright. What's your view on that?
The entire project has been groundbreaking from the outset. Its roots lie in the transformation into a digital world that began just a few years ago. That transformation reached the realm of books and we launched the Google Books project. We began scanning books, which was a break with tradition. People's reaction is logical, but they need to understand that technology and digital capabilities are developing. We realize it's only natural that this debate should always surround Google Books, but you must bear in mind that we believe the project contributes something useful to society, to citizens. That doesn't mean it's perfect or that we won't have to deal with friction points along the way.
Another factor in the controversy could be that the project is breaking various structures that have been in place for centuries. Are the roles of writers or publishers changing?
That already happened, although it was a long time ago and we no longer remember it. There were no further major changes for many centuries. The first transformation was when the printing press was invented. Monks were the only ones with access to knowledge - manuscripts and codices in their monasteries up in the hills - and they considered the printing press an invention of the Devil. Since then, nothing changed until very recently, with the emergence of digital technology, the internet, etc. Of course, people forget that that already happened and that a new transformation is currently taking place. We all have to come to terms with the need to ride the digital wave and embrace the options and benefits it offers each and every one of us.
Could it be said that, in the light of the new situation you've mentioned, the fundamental right of access to culture ought to take precedence over copyright?
I think those two rights are equally important. Logically, culture wouldn't make sense without creators, without publishers and producers to disseminate it, and without potential consumers and users, so we need to strike a balance. Culture wouldn't exist without creators and, of course, there would be no creators without maximum dissemination, as the ultimate goal of a creator, a work's author, is to become well-known, for many people to consume, read and see their work. So, the ideal thing would be to find a balance.
But one of the issues behind all the disagreements is that, despite the visibility involved, authors aren't receiving sufficient financial compensation to go on living off their work.
Of course. The right to receive financial compensation is absolutely legitimate and logical. There are two things that must be taken into account though. Firstly, authors should receive financial compensation in the case of commercial exploitation, i.e. when their works are generating profits. Secondly, authors also have the right to waive financial compensation in return for the dissemination of their work. So, the entitlement to financial compensation isn't the only relevant right, and that brings me back to my earlier point. The best thing would be to find a balance.
Another concern people have is that all this universal knowledge is in the hands of a single corporation, Google.
I'd respond to that with a question. Why aren't there more public or private bodies, more institutions and more organizations innovating and thinking outside the box like Google does? Apparently everyone could do it, but it takes motivation and a certain level of economic capacity. Other book-scanning initiatives are starting to emerge. There are local and international projects, and that's perfect, it's good. More projects means greater development. It's not a question of them competing with one another. It's a matter of innovation increasing with more projects. That causes people to think outside the box, about how to improve things that already exist. So, it would be good for technological development, for the development of our society, because the rate of innovation would be higher.
With all the changes technology is bringing about, and given that Google is always one step ahead, what's next in the pipeline?
I'd like to see certain projects that people already know about become widespread. One is the
driverless car. We - particularly our engineers - think it's a product that will have many benefits for society. The initial intention is to find out how to prevent the majority of accidents and how to make travelling in cars easier for everyone who depends on them. A second project is
Google Glass. I don't mean just the glasses but everything the project entails, internet-capable objects. I'm talking about accessing the internet via a pair of glasses, a watch or a t-shirt, opening up possibilities that we're totally unaware of right now.
Is that Google's philosophy? Introduce a technology and let the rest of society engage with it and develop it further?
That's right. As a key internet company, Google feels slightly responsible for digital development and for making the digital world a solution and an opportunity for many businesses and individuals; for many users, in short. It goes without saying that Google is a business and has its ways of trading and making money. In the end though, the more developed the digital sphere and the internet become, the better things will be, not only for Google but also for society as a whole. That's why we're always thinking about new, innovative projects that could transform society, that could open doors for many entrepreneurs, developers and youngsters, with a view to the digital world becoming an opportunity for the future for all of them.
