2013 93 min (full); 54 min (abridged) 1-932869-82-4 This film has subtitles English

Google & the World Brain

The Audacious Attempt to Control Human Knowledge

or

Synopsis

In 1937, the science fiction writer H. G. Wells imagined a "World Brain" containing all of the world's knowledge, accessible to all people, that would be "so compact in its material form and so gigantic in its scope and possible influence" that it could transcend even nation states and governments. Seventy years later, Google set about realizing Wells's vision, launching a massive project to scan millions of books from university library collections. But when it was discovered that over half of the first ten million books Google scanned were still in copyright, authors from around the world joined together to wage a fierce legal battle against the Internet giant, culminating in a dramatic courtroom showdown in 2011. In gripping detail, Google & the World Brain tells the fascinating story of this complicated struggle over intellectual property and access to human knowledge, offering crucial insights into broader debates surrounding data-mining and privacy, downloading and copyright, fair use, freedom and surveillance.

Please note: This film does not come with Public Performance Rights. If you wish to a screening outside of a face-to-face classroom setting, please contact us.

Release Date:2013
Duration:93 min (full); 54 min (abridged)
ISBN:1-932869-82-4
Subtitles:English

Trailers

Watch the trailer

Filmmaker Credits

A Polar Star Films & BLTV Production
Director
Ben Lewis
Executive Producer
Carles Brugueras
Producer
Bettina Walter
Editor
Simon Barker
Director of Photography
Frank-Peter Lehmann
Music
Lucas Ariel Vallejos
UK Producer
Viva Van Loock
Production Executive
Madeleine Sheahan

Film Festivals

Fresh Film Fest - Prague
Czech Republic 2013
Avvantura Festival 2013
Croacia 2013
Transatlantyk International Film and Music Festival 2013
Poland
Mediteranean Film Festival
Bosnia 2013
DOXA Documentary Film Festival 2013
Real Film Festival 2013
Australia 2013

Awards

Best Documentary: Rincon International Film Festival 2013

Resources: Downloads and Related Links

Praise

"This beautifully shot and carefully conceived documentary problematizes the role the Google Books project has played in our society. Whether you are a supporter or a critic, Ben Lewis' timely and highly engaging film will provoke you to think more deeply about the future of the digital world. Highly recommended!"
Peter K. Yu
Kern Family Chair in Intellectual Property Law at Drake University
"If you don't trust Google, watch this movie."
Jonathan Aronson
Professor in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California
"This report on Google's audacious project to digitize, and control, all of society's recorded knowledge is authoritative, balanced -- and absolutely chilling."
Paul Goldstein
Lillick Professor of Law at Stanford University
"This short documentary draws attention in a compelling way to the long term global risks and benefits of the Google Books Project."
Ann Bartow
Professor of Law at Pace Law School

Press Reviews

"Offers convincing reasons to pay more attention to Google's utopian schemes."
John Defore | The Hollywood Reporter
"A whip-smart examination."
Kenneth Turan | Critics Notebook, Los Angeles Times
"Four Stars. A fair, interesting, and eye-opening true story. Anyone interested in the future, Google, books, Artificial Intelligence, where science fiction collides with reality, or a culturally relevant story well told, should see this documentary gem.”
Scott Cleland | Precursor Blog
"A masterful doucmentary."
Julie Fischer | Indiewire
"Endlessly fascinating and engaging. It's probably the best documentary you'll see all year."
Lucas McNelly | The Huffington Post