Google Book Settlement Raises Eyebrows in Europe
Google Book Settlement Raises Eyebrows in Europe
Google’s book settlement in the US is not sitting well with some in Europe. As a result, the EU is commissioning a study on the affects of the settlement on European authors. The deal that Google made with the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers (AAP) includes European authors who have been published in the States. However, they are allowed to opt-out of the deal if they so choose.
The EU, of course, isn’t the only one scrutinizing the agreement. Last month, the Department of Justice here in the States launched an antitrust investigation into the settlement, despite the deal’s nonexclusive clauses.
Additionally, the settlement must be approved by a court. The hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2009.
The settlement came after two years of disputes and negotiations between Google and the AAP. It involves Google shelling out $125 million to establish the Book Rights Registry, which would kill the existing class action lawsuit against Google for its book search.
Comments
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!