Google, La Martiniere sign e-book agreement

Google and French publisher La Martiniere have signed an agreement of undisclosed financial value to digitize books that are no longer in print. The move puts an end to ligitation begun by La Martiniere in 2006. The deal covers the scanning and sale as e-books of works for which the publisher still controls the copyright. Google was ordered by a Paris court of appeal to pay La Martiniere EUR 300,000 in damages in 2009 and to stop digitizing books without the authorisation of copyright holders. The US company appealed the decision and is still in litigation with copyright holders' associations Syndicat National de l'Edition and Societe des Gens de Lettres. Google reached a similar agreement with French publisher Hachette in November 2010 but was sued by Gallimard, Flammarion and Albin Michel in May.