From cnet:
Five state attorneys general have joined the opposition to Google’s settlement with book authors and publishers, objecting to the way the settlement distributes unclaimed funds.
The attorneys general for Connecticut, Missouri, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Washington joined the chorus of opposition to the settlement this week, filing briefs with Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. District [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Intellectual Property Issues category.
State AGs on Google Books settlement: We object
Google to share scanned books with rivals
From the Washington Post:
Google Inc, criticized for scanning books without copyright permission, has said it would open its digital library to rivals and bookstores, the search engine giant said on Thursday.
Google made the announcement at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee that had been called to discuss criticism of a 2008 [...]
All publicly funded content should be in the public domain
From Boing Boing:
Let’s put aside my personal frustration at having my work locked away. The real question here is, since CBC content is funded by the public, shouldn’t the public own it? Or at least have access to it? Actually, the CBC archives are just the tip of the iceberg: the overwhelming majority of stuff [...]
U.S. Register of Copyrights Slams Google Book Search Settlement
From Publishers Weekly:
In testimony before the House Judiciary subcommittee this morning, Marybeth Peters, U.S. Register of Copyrights, in her first detailed comments on the subject, blasted the Google Book Search Settlement as “fundamentally at odds with the law.” In a blistering assessment of the deal, Peters told lawmakers that the settlement is in essence a [...]
At Congressional Hearing, Register of Copyrights Slams Google Settlement
From Library Journal:
At a Congressional hearing today on the Google Book Search Settlement, Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, U.S. Copyright Office, testified forcefully, warning that key parts of the settlement “are fundamentally at odds with the law,” creating a compulsory license for Google that should be the domain of Congress, not the courts.
Academics, ProQuest, Networks Object to Google Settlement
From Library Journal:
Final comments have been submitted to a federal court overseeing the Google Book Search settlement, pending a hearing in New York on October 7, and LJ highlights some of the most interesting.
National Coalition of Authors Urge Rejection of Google Book Search Deal
From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
A coalition of authors and publishers—including best-sellers Michael Chabon, Jonathan Lethem, and technical author Bruce Schneier—is urging a federal judge to reject the proposed settlement in a lawsuit over Google Book Search, arguing that the sweeping agreement to digitize millions of books ignores critical privacy rights for readers and writers.
The group [...]
Open Book Alliance and Others Join in Submitting Letter to House Judiciary Committee
From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
The Open Book Alliance, of which SLA is a member, and several other organizations on 9 September joined together in submitting a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, urging it to carefully review and scrutinize the proposed Google Book Settlement and its implications for authors, copyright holders, schools, libraries and the [...]
Google defends book deal as competitive, helpful
From the Washington Post:
Google’s deal to digitize millions of books opens the way for others to enter the online book business, the company’s chief legal officer said in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing on Thursday.
David Drummond, addressing critics of the project, said Google was “fully compliant with copyright law,” and access to online books [...]
Antitrust Lawyer Slams Google Book Pact
From the Wall Street Journal:
Silicon Valley antitrust lawyer Gary Reback made his case against the Google Books settlement Tuesday, arguing that the settlement is illegal but could be remedied if the Justice Department insists that Google license the books it scanned to competitors.
In a court filing on behalf of the Open Book Alliance, a consortium [...]