Is Google Evil - Assignment Example

Introduction: The explosive growth of information technology and its relation, the internet has revolutionized communication and management of information in the modern world. Modern lexicon is familiar with new words like the ‘world wide web’, the internet, the information superhighway, social networking and other related terms. The availability of vast amounts of electronic information required technology that could easily be accessible for users which ultimately resulted in what is known as search engines. Over the years, some tasks or utilities have become synonymous with brand or company names. For example, people use the word ‘Xerox’ as a synonym for photocopying. In the search engine world, the term used is Google, as a synonym for digital search or research. But whatever may be the technology used, the concept of ethics has to be considered. In other words, ethics and statutes/laws are relevant in any field of human endeavor. This paper reviews the services offered by Google in an ethical and legal viewpoint to arrive at a conclusion whether as to whether the company and its services is a blessing or a curse. It will also review the concept of ‘Google Books’ which form a part of its service portfolio with regard to the ethical theory of utilitarianism and other legal aspects in the United States. Brief history of Google in this context: As mentioned in the introduction, the need for availability of information from the Internet resulted in a technology that would enable users to retrieve it through search engines. In this regard, Google came into existence through the efforts of Larry Page and Sergey Brin as a part of their Stanford University project. According to the corporate website of Google, the company came into existence in 1998 (Google management) a decade after the internet became public. The Economist, in its article dated September 3rd 2009, has stated that the intention of the company is to create an extensive digital library of books that can be accessed by the common man. Stanford University also claims that “Google is currently the most used search engine. It has one of the largest databases of Web pages, including many other types of web documents (blog posts, wiki pages, group discussion threads and document formats (e.g., PDFs, Word or Excel documents, Power Points)” (Recommended search engines). In this context, the concept of digital publishing of orphan books will also be taken into consideration. It is proposed to review the situation with regard to utilitarianism, other relevant ethical theories, and the concept of copyright in the publishing industry for Google books. Utilitarianism and other ethical theories: According to one theory, “ethics is concerned with what we chose to do intentionally or on purpose. Ethics is not concerned with what people do accidently or unintentionally, even if these behaviors cause bad things”. (Devettere 2000, 1). In other words, any unintentional act even if evil or bad cannot be seen as unethical. But, the publication digital online version of books and other documents created by Google is an intentional act. The vast volume of digital books available online is no accidental act. It is a planned business decision by the company and there is no element of lack of intention. So, according to the line of thought given above, it comes under the purview of ethics. Hence, other factors and theories need to be considered in order to come to a conclusion about ethical behavior. Utilitarianism is a concept primarily developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. They “argued that the best decisions (a) generate the most benefits as compared with their disadvantages, and (b) benefit the largest number of people (Johnson 2004, 130). So, if a person or organization indulge in an act that is provides the maximum number of benefits to a large section of the population, it is an ethical act. The concept of Google books is perfectly ethical in this regard. Purchasing books can be costly depending on it content and popularity. A Harry Potter book will cost more than another book containing the same number of pages because it is popular. The publisher can easily charge more for such a popular book because they know that people will buy it despite its price. A lot of people may not be able to afford to pay the price even if they want to read it. In this sense, the concept of Google books is highly ethical. Any person who has tried accessing the site can read the content (mostly in part) of thousands of books published online by the company. It should be noted here that the books available online are labeled full view, limited preview, or snippet view by Google. Full view means that the whole book is available and can even be downloaded in pdf format. Limited preview indicates that certain sections of the book can be viewed online. In order to read the whole book, it has to be bought or purchased online. The list of publishers and sellers is also given so that an interested person can order the book. Snippet view indicates that only the relevant details like topic, author, publisher, and availability is given. In each of the above instances, the concept of utilitarian ethics holds good. For example, if the book is a ‘full view’ one, a person can read the whole book online or even download it on to his or her computer. Even in the case of ‘limited preview’ some information is available to the person accessing it. Snippet view as the term suggest only provides very limited information about the book as mentioned above. So both full view and limiter preview provides the maximum number of benefits to the maximum number of people. In all instances, including snippet view, it promotes the book which can be beneficial to the potential reader/buyer, the author and the publisher. The whole process can be considered to be an advertisement which may result in the purchase of the book. It is also beneficial to students and other researchers who can access the full view and limited preview versions for gathering information without spending a lot of money. The fact that Google also publishes what are known as orphan books is also a part of utilitarian ethics. Such books are those “that the author and publisher have essentially abandoned. They are out of print, and while they remain under copyright, the rights holders are unknown or cannot be found” (Google’s plan for out of print books is challenged). Another important angle is the huge database that is generated out of this concept which is beneficial to people looking for a particular source of information or a book. Utilitarianism also considers factors like pleasure and goods, but the basic ideology behind the concept remains the same in all cases. In any view, the digital availability of Google books is an ethical act under this concept. Legal aspect of Google books: In spite of Google’s concept being ethical on utilitarian grounds, there are legal aspects that might limit its ambitions in this regard. The Economist dated 3rd September 2009, states that a lawsuit is pending in US law courts regarding the grant of copyright to Google regarding publishing books online in the three manners mentioned above (Google’s big book case). But it appears that the decision has been deferred and no final agreement has been finalized till date. A CNet article dated November 13, 2009, states that the court has allowed the company to publish online, out of print books. In essence the ruling states that it has the right to digitize books without infringement of copyright laws, any book published in English within the United States, where there is no publisher or author to challenge the move. Conclusion: With regard to utilitarian concepts, Google and Google books is acting ethically. But with regard to statutes, there still remain roadblocks that may in the future prevent users from accessing valuable knowledge online. If the honorable courts in the United States allow a status quo, it is enough justify utilitarian ethics to prevail. If publishers and authors win the case, then the level of knowledge and accessibility to information may become limited. In essence there is a contradiction between ethics and law in this case. But, Google is definitely not evil in this instance. It is agreed that there is an element of profit (for Google) involved. It could even be detrimental to publishers and authors with regard to copyright laws. But in conclusion, the company is doing a great service to the public in following the policy of allowing digital access to books for the public. With regard to orphan books, even the court has allowed Google’s policy unless of digitization unless a stakeholder is involved. If Google is able to satisfy the all the stakeholder and still maintain its current policy, there is no question of unethical or illegal behavior. References Devettere, R 2000, Practical decision making in health care ethics: cases and concepts, 2nd edn, Georgetown University Press. Google management. Google. 2009. 23 November 2009 Google’s plan for out of print books is challenged. The New York Times. 2009. 23 November 2009 < http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/technology/internet/04books.html> Google’s big book case. The Economist. 2009. 23 November 2009 Johnson, C.E 2004, Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light Or Shadow, 2nd edn, Sage Publications Recommended search engines. University of California. 2009. 23 November 2009 Read More