Google Books: A cultural invasion alert for Chinese government?

Shen Lijun—DoNews Staff Writer

Google denounced a claim that Google is the biggest archenemy in the publishing industry, saying that “we always have a belief that the combination of new rising hi-tech and the traditional industry will surely bring new opportunities in way that both the sustainable development and customers’ interests can be achieved.” However, Goolge is the not always a case in point, and we can not lock ourselves up and turn our backs on the promising cooperation by driving it away, what need is ponder the way we work with Google, and the critical point where we can not cooperate with Google, said Cheng Sanguo.

Beijing-(DoNews) In a response to the news that "Chinese Government Overseas Books Promotion Initiative" inks a deal with Google, Google is essentially a good helper to promote our books but, said Cheng Sanguo, a renowned publishing expert, the ex-founding editor of China Book Business Report, we do need keep alert to an imminent Google cultural invasion.

As a media, Google is powerful. So much so that it can override anything cultural in a country. It came to us no surprise that so many countries have been wary of the amazing penetration of this business juggernaut, suggested Cheng Sanguo. We have France, Germany where some experts panels are already studying some possible impacts Google might have on their cultures. And some government-sponsored institutes are working out some measures. The reason is simple: they both know publishing industry is a cultural core they must hold tight in their hands. So we do need think again and again about the government gives Google the publishing deal--a final channel of culture in China, adds Cheng.

Books, says Cheng, are about the cultural spine for our nation, it’s a cultured ideology. "We can ask Google to help sell our books, we can not ask Google to help publish the books. Google has many promises, but the promises could dangerously promise some big risks in a viewpoint of national interests and the possible 'cultural invasion'"

Google on March 16th denied a claim that Google is the biggest archenemy of the publishing industry. “We always have a belief that the combination of new rising hi-tech and the traditional industry will surely bring new opportunities in way that the sustainable development and customers’ interests can be achieved.” says Google. However, Cheng thinks Goolge is the not always a case in point, and we can not locked ourselves up and turn our backs on the promising cooperation by driving Google away, what we need is ponder the way we work with Google, and the critical point where we can not cooperate with Google, said Cheng Sanguo.