Chinese novelist Mian Mian sues Google

According to the author's lawyer, the Beijing court ordered both sides to talk but did not set a deadline for reporting back. Mian Mian is seeking damages of 61,000 yuan (AU$10,057) and a public apology after Google scanned one of her books, Acid House, into its online library.

But Google said it had removed the book as soon as it learned of the lawsuit.

Mian Mian writes risqué novels, including notable titles such as Panda Sex and Candy - about China's underworld of sex, drugs and nightlife. Most of her work is banned in conservative China.

She is not alone in the copyright battle between writers and the search giant. The China Written Works Copyright Society is also looking for compensation for other Chinese authors whose work is included in Google's online library project.

Elsewhere, a French court recently ordered Google to stop scanning French books without the publisher's approval. The search engine was also told to pay 300,000 euros (AU$486,661) in damages and interest to French company La Martiniere, which had sued Google for copyright infringement for their book excerpts being made available online by the company.

In the United States, Google also agreed on a $125 million (AU$140 million) settlement with American authors and publishers, although it is still waiting for final court approval.