The Association of American Publishers (AAP) has requested that Google stop scanning books copyrighted by association members, for at least six months, while Google answers questions about its compliance with copyright law in relation to its plan to scan millions of works in five major research libraries worldwide, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education. An AAP spokesman on Monday said the group made the request in a June 10 letter, but stopped short of making a "cease and desist" request regarding Google's Library Project. The moratorium aims to create an environment "where there isn't going to be the tension of ongoing practices that some of our members may object to," he said.

Two libraries, at the University of Michigan and Stanford, have agreed to let Google scan books that are still in copyright. The contract between Michigan and Google raised privacy concerns Monday, in addition to the copyright questions.

Many publishers say that Google does not have the right to scan a copyrighted book because making a digital copy for any commercial purpose requires permission, whereas Google's position is that its project falls within the concept of fair use under copyright law. It says it plans to offer only brief excerpts of digitized works - as search results.

Business Week carries an exhaustive discussion of the entire to-do.