Google apologizes to Chinese authors

Google apologized to Chinese authors in a message broadcast on Sunday on CCTV, state media reported. Erik Hartmann, Asia-Pacific manager of Google Books, said the company’s communication with the authors was "not good enough" after the search engine posted parts of their works online without their permission and without compensation. Google attributed the problem to a difference in understanding of copyright law in the US and China, though the company has also met with legal issues in the US and EU. Google will apologize to the authors, represented by the China Written Works Copyright Society, in their fourth meeting on Tuesday. Yang Chengzhi, secretary of the Chinese Writers Association, said, "We will have a serious study of the apology and hear the authors’ opinions before we decide whether or not to accept Google’s apology. We hope the apology is sincere, honest and courageous, and the commitment is serious and executable."