Watch Google and the World Brain

Google and the World Brain is a documentary film directed by Ben Lewis and released in 2013. The film explores the ambitious project of Google to scan every book ever published and create a universal digital library. The documentary examines the potential implications of such a project, including the impact on copyright laws, the access to knowledge, and the power of corporate giants over cultural heritage.

The movie begins by introducing the history of libraries and their importance in preserving and disseminating knowledge. The film highlights the contributions of great libraries all over the world, such as the Library of Alexandria, the Vatican Library, and the British Library. The film explains how, throughout history, libraries have been targeted by conquerors and destroyed, and how books have been censored and banned. The movie also shows how libraries have evolved with technology, from handwritten manuscripts to printing presses to digital archives.

The documentary then turns to Google's project of digitizing books, which began in 2002. The film shows how Google's mission was to create a universal digital library, accessible to everyone, and to democratize access to knowledge. The movie explains the process of scanning books, which involves cutting off the spine, scanning the pages, and using OCR software to recognize the text. The film reveals that Google's goal was to scan every book ever published, which would have amounted to more than 130 million books.

The movie then delves into the complex legal issues that Google's project raised. The film discusses the challenges of getting copyright permissions for every book, which would have been a monumental task. The documentary shows how Google tried to bypass copyright laws by claiming "fair use" of books that were out of print or abandoned. The movie also reveals the backlash from authors, publishers, and libraries, who accused Google of copyright infringement, and the lawsuits that followed.

The film then explores the philosophical and ethical implications of Google's project. The documentary asks whether the digitization of books would lead to the end of physical books and libraries, and whether the digital archive would be subject to censorship and manipulation. The movie also raises the question of who would control the digital library, and whether a corporate giant like Google should be trusted with such a massive cultural heritage.

The documentary concludes with an examination of the aftermath of Google's project. The film shows how Google was forced to settle the copyright lawsuits and to abandon its goal of digitizing every book. The movie also reveals that other digital libraries have emerged, such as the Internet Archive, which is committed to preserving digital copies of books and making them freely accessible.

Overall, Google and the World Brain is a thought-provoking and insightful documentary that raises important questions about the role of technology in preserving and disseminating knowledge. The film's mix of historical context, legal analysis, and cultural commentary provides a nuanced and balanced perspective on Google's ambitious project. The movie is a must-see for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, culture, and society.

Google and the World Brain is a 2013 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7.