Online searching giant Google recently sent a letter to the Vietnam Literary Copyright Centre (VLCC) and several Vietnamese writers, asking to purchase copyrights of more than 4,000 books.

The 4,000 books are among millions of books that Google has digitalised in order to set up an online gigantic library, the Google Books.

However, Google failed to purchase copyrights of these books, and as a result, it is facing lawsuits filed by publishers and copyrights organisations worldwide since 2004.

To deal with the issue, Google has asked publishers, writers and copyright centres in various countries to start negotiations on the copyright.

In its 50-page notice to the VLCC and some of Vietnamese writers, Google offered to pay 60 USD for each digitalised book and split 63 percent of its future revenue from the book.

Google also set Sept. 30 as the deadline for Vietnam ’s reply.

According to an article on the “Sai Gon giai phong” daily, the problem for the VLCC is that it does not represent all Vietnamese authors.

VLCC’s director, Doan Thi Lam Luyen, said her centre, the largest copyright protection organisation in Vietnam , has so far been authorised by some 1,000 local writers, who account for only a small number of the authors of books used by Google.

In fact, there is yet any organisation in Vietnam that can be the legitimate representative for all Vietnamese authors to negotiate with Google.

The article quoted local experts on international intellectual property as saying that Vietnam has the right to make Google extend the deadline so that local authors have time to prepare for negotiations in accordance with international laws./.