New Zealand authors have asked the Government to intervene in the legal wrangle over the plan by Google Books to put millions of books online.
Google Books reached a settlement last year with writers and publishers in the United States that would have allowed it to publish excerpts of any book online unless the author opted out of the scheme.
The internet giant claimed the deal applied worldwide but there were objections from countries, organisations and individuals.
Maggie Tarver from the New Zealand Society of Authors says it wants a scheme that requires authors to opt in rather than opt out.
She says members of the society met with the Ministry of Economic Development representatives on Tuesday and the ministry has promised to consider what course of action, if any, it could take.
