Google Books Now Featuring Creative Commons Books

Google is now making it easier for publishers who release their work under Creative Commons (CC) licenses to distribute their books through Google Books.

Announced yesterday via blog post, Google has implamented the ability for rightsholders to distribute their CC-licensed book on Google Books. Rightsholders will need to upload their works through the Google Books Partner Program. Once uploaded you can select from one of seven Creative Commons options, and usage permissions will vary depending on the license.

With a Creative Commons license, you can keep your copyright but allow people to copy and distribute your work provided they give you credit — and only on the conditions you specify.

A few of the most common questions about attributing a Creative Commons license to your book in Google Books are below. For further information, please see the Creative Commons FAQ site.

Are there required settings before I can apply a Creative Commons license to my book?
Yes. In order to participate, you will need to provide the worldwide rights for your books. In addition, you must show your books 100% browsable to users, with downloading enabled. You can read more about enabling download here.

Where can I edit my book settings to apply a Creative Commons license?
Partners can update individual book settings from the Books tab within their account. Simply click on the pencil icon () alongside the book in question and edit the settings directly. More information on editing book settings can be found here.

How do I know which Creative Commons license to choose?
Various licenses specify whether you allow others to use, share, or modify the book. There's also a wizard available at http://creativecommons.org/choose/.

What does it mean for a Creative Commons license to be perpetual?
This allows others who have used or modified the book (based on the license you've granted) to continue to be able to do so and to give others the same license.

Can I allow downloading of my book without using Creative Commons?
Yes.

Types of Creative Commons licenses

Here is a summary of all of the available types of licenses, along with links to the Creative Commons site for further details on each type:

1. Creative Commons (Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works)
   Allows distribution of your book with attribution but prohibits commercial use or derivative works. Terms available here.


2. Creative Commons (Attribution-Noncommercial)
   Allows distribution of your book and derivative works provided there is attribution in each case, but prohibits commercial use. Terms available here.


3. Creative Commons (Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike)
   Allows distribution and also creation of derivative works of your book, in each case with attribution and under the same or similar license as this license, but prohibits commercial use. Terms available here.


4. Creative Commons (Attribution-No Derivative Works)
   Allows distribution of your book and commercial use provided there is attribution in each case, but prohibits derivative works. Terms available here.


5. Creative Commons (Attribution-Share Alike)
   Allows distribution, commercial use and derivative works of your book, in each case with attribution and under the same license as this license. Terms available here.


6. Creative Commons (Attribution)
   Allows distribution, commercial use, and derivative works of your book provided there is attribution in each case. Terms available here.


7. Creative Commons (CCO)
   Waives all copyrights to the Authorized Title and dedicate the Authorized Title into the public domain. Terms available here.

According to Google a few authors have already made their CC books available for you to download on Google Books, including:

1. 55 Ways to Have Fun with Google by Philipp Lenssen
2. Blown to Bits by Harold Abelson, Ken Ledeen, Harry R. Lewis
3. Bound by Law? by Keith Aoki, James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins
4. Code: Version 2 by Lawrence Lessig
5. Democratizing Innovation by Eric von Hippel
6. Federal Budget Deficits: America's great consumption binge by Paul Courant, Edward Gramlich
7. The Future of the Internet -- And How to Stop It by Jonathan Zittrain
8. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
9. A World's Fair for the Global Village by Carl Malamud