In a significant legal development, educational publishers Cengage, Macmillan Learning, McGraw Hill, and Elsevier have filed a lawsuit against tech giant Google (GOOGL.O) on Wednesday. The lawsuit, brought before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Google is facilitating the dissemination of pirated copies of their textbooks.
The publishers contend that despite numerous copyright infringement notices, Google has turned a blind eye and continues to profit from the sale of unauthorized digital versions of textbooks, prominently featured in search results through its dominant search engine.
Representatives from Google have yet to provide a response to inquiries regarding the lawsuit. However, Matt Oppenheim, representing the publishers through Oppenheim + Zebrak, described Google as a “thieves’ den” for textbook pirates.
According to the complaint, Google search results prominently display heavily discounted pirated e-book versions of the publishers’ works, overshadowing legitimate offerings. These illicit copies are sold at artificially low prices, undermining the market for authorized textbooks.
The lawsuit further alleges that Google exacerbates the piracy issue by limiting advertisements for licensed e-books, creating a lopsided marketplace where pirated copies thrive while legitimate sellers are sidelined.
Despite ongoing complaints dating back to 2021, the publishers assert that Google has failed to address their concerns, leading to accusations of copyright and trademark infringement, as well as deceptive trade practices. The publishers seek unspecified monetary damages as restitution.
This legal action underscores the growing importance of digital books in education, particularly as online learning and higher education increasingly rely on electronic resources. With the advancement of AI publishing, educational institutions may increasingly turn to e-books, or even produce their own customized editions, highlighting the need for robust protections against piracy.
The case, titled Cengage Learning Inc v. Google LLC, is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York under case number 1:24-cv-04274.