Sites like Justia and The Public Index continue to process the hundreds of additional letters logged by Judge Denny Chin’s office expressing views on the Google Books Settlement. Dozens upon dozens of foreign publishers–mostly from Germany, France, and Sweden–joined with earlier objections to the agreement. Additional associations expressing opposition include the French Publishers Association, the Finnish Book Publishers Association, the Nordic Publishers Association, the New Zealand Society of Authors, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and yes, even the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. In two separate filings, the attorney general of Texas and attorneys general from Pennsylvania, […]
eNews
Twelve Withholds Kennedy eBook
Twelve publisher Jon Karp tells the AP that the ebook version of Ted Kennedy’s TRUE COMPASS has been postponed “indefinitely,” calling it a “business decision.” He says the move “does not reflect any larger corporate policy,” saying “we felt that this particular hardcover edition of True Compass deserves to be the first and pre-eminent format for the book.” At the same time, Karp also comments, “You don’t expect a first-run movie to be available on cable the first weekend.” HBG USA ceo David Young reiterates the concerns expressed by his boss Arnaud Nourry recently, saying “I don’t think there’s a […]
Google Tells Congress They'll Let Anyone Sell Settlement Books
Google svp and chief legal officer announced before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday (in parallel with a posting on the company’s public policy blog) “that for the out-of-print books being made available through the Google Books settlement, we will let any book retailer sell access to those books. Google will host the digital books online, and retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your local bookstore will be able to sell access to users on any Internet-connected device they choose. Retailers can also pursue their own digitization efforts of out-of-print books in parallel. In essence, this extends our […]
Some Google Requests Take It on the Chin; Congress Has No Questions for Publishers
In what could be viewed as a signal that Judge Denny Chin is ready for resolution on the Google Books Settlement case, yesterday he quickly denied two motions from opponents. In both rulings, Chin emphasized the view that there has been plenty of time for investigation and expression. Judge Chin swatted away efforts by Lewis Hyde, Harry Lewis and the Open Access Trust to formally intervene for the second time (they were first turned down in April), writing: “This case was filed some four years ago and has been conditionally settled; it is simply too late to permit new parties […]
Meet the Mega MetaMess
One of the main topics of discussion at yesterday’s BISG (Book Industry Study Group) annual meeting was the impending data mess that digital books are producing. I understand that for most of our readership, terms like metadata and identifiers can lead directly to disinterest or slumber but the real-world implications are easier to relate to: When you cannot find a book properly online, or when ebook sales in certain outlets don’t “count” towards bestseller lists, or a retailer can’t get a hold of a copy of something a customer wants to buy, metadata issues take on a new urgency. To […]
Still More Google Books Objections
Among other filings with the NY District Court in the Google Books Settlement case found after our pretty thorough list in yesterday’s Lunch: The Songwriters’ Guild of America says the agreement’s definition of a book, which “includes musical notation and lyrics that do not reach or exceed” certain threshhold, makes music creators and rightsholders in musical works subject to the settlement “despite having had no opportunity to negotiate the terms of such uses. This is a patently unfair result.” Proquest also objected, saying that they are a “class member who has played by the rules of copyright and contract law […]