National Writers Union Opposes Google Book Settlement; Wired.com's Epicenter, 8/13/09

Ryan Singel via Wired.com's Epicenter; National Writers Union Opposes Google Book Settlement:

"Add yet another voice to the chorus of protests over a proposed settlement of a class-action copyright suit that clears Google to transform the world’s dusty library tomes into the bookstore and online library of the future.

This time, the National Writers Union — which represents some 1,500 freelance writers — described a proposed deal as “grossly unfair to writers.”...

But Google should not have digitized books without authors’ permission, said Larry Goldbetter, the president of the National Writers Union, which operates as a local of the United Auto Workers. Google argues such scanning is covered by the Fair Use provision of copyright law, which allows for transformative and partial uses of copyright material.

“[W]riters whose copyrights were violated might receive a check for between $60 and $300 for each book and $15 per article,” he added. “Compared to the number and seriousness of the violations, the amount being offered by Google to each writer is ridiculously low.”"

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/national-writers-union-opposes-google-book-settlement/

Press Release: Library Groups Advise DOJ on Proposed Google Book Search Settlement; Association of Research Libraries, 7/30/09

Press Release: Library Groups Advise DOJ on Proposed Google Book Search Settlement; Association of Research Libraries:

"The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) sent a letter to William Cavanaugh, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division yesterday, requesting the Division to advise the court presiding over the Google Book Settlement to supervise the implementation of the settlement closely, particularly the pricing of institutional subscriptions and the selection of the Book Rights Registry board members.

The letter, which was sent following a meeting the library groups had with the Antitrust Division, also recommended that the Division itself actively monitor the parties’ compliance with the settlement’s provisions."

http://www.arl.org/pp/ppcopyright/google/googledoj.shtml