Google Defers to Writers Group: Won't Scan Books in China Without Author's OK

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Since its inception in 1949, the 8,000-member China Writers Association (CWA") has been the liasion between China's authors and the Chinese Communist government, so challenging online behemoth Google was child's play for the CWA.

Google sent a letter Jan.. 9 that has been posted on the CWA Web site in which Google apologizes for "inadequate communications" with Chinese authors regarding Google's scanning and uploading of books without authors' permission into its online library.  Absent authorization from a book's creator, Google will no longer scan books in China.

Author Mian Mian charged Google with copyright infringement Dec. 30. The matter has yet to be decided by the Chinese court, but the author's work has been removed from Google's online library.

China boasts 338 million Internet users, according to its government.