law and applies to works published in this country

Fourteen years ago, I published a book entitled "Bernard Loiseau, the quest stars". Despite excellent reviews, sales were disappointing and my publishers quickly left the book exhaust. I now work at Google, and if my book is still protected by copyright, it is practically not found.

Last year, authors and American publishers have an agreement with Google unprecedented to revive millions of forgotten books, like mine. If this agreement is approved by the US justice, American readers will be able for the first time online access to a large number of exhausted books. A new organization not for profit, the register of rights, will be created so that holders of the rights of these books are known and can be paid.

This project agreement concern some European Governments which have requested the European Commission to study it. This query is useful, because it will allow to discuss with policy makers and thereby dispel any misunderstanding. These discussions are going in the direction of trade with the European Commission for three years in the digital library project. In the heart of this debate is a problem that European governments are trying to solve: how to make accessible to the greatest number the knowledge contained in the books

Older books, which are no longer under copyright, so-called public domain, pose no legal problem. For books under copyright, services such as Google Books, or "Read a few pages" Amazon, collaborate with publishers from around the world. They decide to entrust their books to be scanned and to give access to some pages. Readers can get an idea of the book, buy it or borrow it in libraries. More than 25,000 publishers in the world participated in this program that allows online access to more than one million pounds.

The rights of copyright but exhausted books are the most sensitive category, and also the majority of the existing books. Although they represent an invaluable source of knowledge and culture, these works are not sold in bookstores and are rarely found in libraries. It is often difficult to identify the holder of rights. If the author died, which holds its rights The agreement announced in October 2008 between Google and a large number of rights holders in the United States could significantly expand access to these exhausted books, creating new sources of income for authors and publishers, who will now have a concrete financial interest to claim their works.

The authors and European publishers whose books have been digitized in a us library will also collect new charges when the American readers will buy their books online. To do this, they can register with the registry, to directly manage access to their books and benefit or, as some American authors, decide not to register.

As the author, I do not understand the reaction of some in this project. This agreement, I will draw perhaps finally some benefit of my copyright. This agreement is governed by U.S. law and applies to works published in this country. I wish that this opportunity is not reserved only to Americans. Can European players like authors, discover and to discover those millions of books, sources of knowledge and openness to the world, while paying their creators - even function of copyright.