While blog posts and press releases around the world have been full of carping about the proposed settlement of two lawsuits against Google related to their Book Search library project, the judge in the matter had a much simpler response: tentative approval. Judge John Sprizzo’s order was made public yesterday, and he set a June 11 date for a fairness hearing to “decide if the deal is fair, reasonable and adequate.” AP
Yes, Google Will Let You Search Books with Cellphones
One of the many questions raised after the legal settlement over Google Book Search was announced was, “gee, do you think you’ll be able to search millions of books with the new Google Android mobile phone platform?” In a word: yes. Though as announced, the first phase actually aims to let you search current books (rather than out of print titles). It works via downloadable software called Barcode Scanner: “When you line up the camera in front of a book barcode, it will automatically zoom, focus and scan the ISBN – without you even needing to click the shutter. As […]
Google Settlement: Expanding Public Access?
Since the announcement of the Google settlement, the Internet has abounded with fantasy suggestions for changes in the agreement. On his personal blog, executive director for the Digital Library Federation Peter Brantley offers a level-headed proposal on expanding access to the public in areas with “underprivileged populations.” Simply put: “I propose that public terminals be accessible on a tiered basis. If a certain percentage of a public library’s served population falls beneath the poverty level or a similar metric, the number of public access terminals is commensurately increased. At public libraries, internet access is a priority; so is access to […]
Harvard Remains a Google Dissenter
Harvard University was one of the earliest Google Library project participants to decide to let the search giant scan and post only out-of-copyright books from its collections, and the Harvard Crimson says that policy will not change even if the court approves the legal settlements announced earlier this week. University Library director Robert Darnton said in a letter to staff. “As we understand it, the settlement contains too many potential limitations on access to and use of the books by members of the higher education community and by patrons of public libraries.” He also noted: “The settlement provides no assurance […]
Google Questions, If Not Answers
The settlement with Google is nothing if not complex–the basic agreements runs to 141 pages, before the copious attachments. One of these, intended as a simple summary of the settlement for authors who think they qualify as part of the class action suit, runs 36 pages by itself. There will be lots of questions, both strategic and practical, and most of the answers will only make themselves known over time. Here are just a few that come to mind; feel free to add your own (questions or answers) in the comments field at PublishersMarketplace: — Does making a book available […]
Google Settles
Lawsuits brought by the Authors Guild on a class-action basis and five large publishers as representatives of Association of American Publishers against Google have been settled, pending approval by the US District Court. The release notes that “the agreement acknowledges the rights and interests of copyright owners, provides an efficient means for them to control how their intellectual property is accessed online and enables them to receive compensation for online access to their works.” Yes, compensation. Google will pay a total of $125 million, “to establish the Book Rights Registry, to resolve existing claims by authors and publishers and to […]