From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
On 18 September 2009 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) advised a federal judge that, unless revised, the proposed legal settlement giving Google the digital rights to millions of out-of-print books threatens to block competition and drive up prices.
SLA has been active in discussions with Google since October 2008, and in late August 2009 SLA joined the Open Book Alliance to seek resolution on issues of copyright, access, anti-trust and privacy in the case. . .
. . . It is SLA’s position that a completely electronic, searchable, and universally accessible repository of digital books has the potential to bring untold value and knowledge to individuals, organizations and libraries, making more information available to more people around the globe. SLA looks forward to that day. In the meantime, we are joining this effort because we believe that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) must look into the full ramifications of this settlement on issues of copyright, access, affordability and privacy. SLA’s goal is to ensure that any mass book digitization and distribution system addresses those extremely important issues, and that access to such valuable information remains open and competitive. We are also looking for some additional answers on how the settlement will achieve a fair and accessible system. The DOJ’s Statement of Interest reflects many of SLA’s concerns.