Today, the NY Times had an article about an author and lawyer who's objecting to the settlement. Scott E. Gant, an author and partner at Boies Schiller & Flexner, says he plans to make a "sweeping opposition" to it.
According to Gant, "This is a predominantly commercial transaction and one that should be undertaken through the normal commercial process, which is negotiation and informed consent." He also says Google is "trying to ram this through so that millions of copyright holders will have no idea that this is happening."
He may be onto something there, since so many authors are confused about this.
While the settlement resolves disputes with the Author's Guild and the Association of American Publishers, it has drawn fire from the National Writer's Union and the entertainment agency William Morris Endeavor.
Part of the problem here is that the settlement is so complex, no one really feels comfortable with it.
Author Stephen Elliott puts it like this, "The lawyers for the Authors Guild . . . understand it, Google understands it, but I don't know any writer who understands it. That's really enough for a 'no' right there."
Check out these articles from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Publisher's Weekly.
A lot going on here. Stay tuned.
ADDENDUM: Google nabs French archive, in continuing series of deals with libraries. The front page headline from La Tribune: "Google has won." The "collaboration" is also referred to in the article as a "surrender." You'd think the Nazis were marching into Paris again . . .
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