Writer sues Google over book downloading

A Chinese writer has filed a lawsuit against Google Inc, alleging that the company has allowed people to download her book without her permission, the Beijing News reported on Thursday.

Wang Xin, who goes by the pen name Mian Mian, said she discovered in 2009 that her book Yansuan Qingren, or Acid Lover, was put on Google's website without her permission and is seeking about 2 million yuan ($313,100) in compensation from Beijing Gu Xiang Information Technology Co Ltd, a joint venture established between Google and its Chinese partner ganji.com, and from Google Information Technology (China) Co Ltd.

She has also asked the two companies to make public apologies in China Daily or People's Daily Overseas Edition and on Google's China website.

The Beijing First Intermediate People's Court held a hearing on the case on Wednesday. In it, Google said it is a US company and that its copy of the writer's book was made in the United States, an action that did not violate US laws.

The court has not issued a judgment in the case and both the plaintiff and defendants have said they will accept mediation.