According to a recent Associated Press report, Internet search giant Google has extended an apology to the Chinese Writers’ Association for its ‘inadequate communication’ with the authors regarding its massive Google Book Search project.

The apology by Google comes after Chinese author Mian Mian filed a lawsuit against Google in a Chinese court, alleging that the company had included her work in the digital book index without her permission. The court had asked Google and Mian Mian to work out a settlement.

In the letter addressed to the Chinese Writers’ Association, Erik Hartmann, the Asia-Pacific head of Google Books, said: “Following discussions and communications in recent months, we do believe that our communication with Chinese writers has not been good enough. Google is ready to apologize to Chinese writers about this.”

The Google letter also stated that the company will make a complete inventory of all the thus far scanned books by Chinese authors, and work out a formal settlement with them by June this year.

As such, contrary to multiple press reports from the likes of Bloomberg and IDG News Service, Google’s apology is in no way an indication that the company has changed its existing policies. The search biggie will continue to scan and index the works from Chinese authors; and will exclude them only if they request such exclusion from the digitization of their works.