Privacy

Authors, Publishers Ask Judge to Postpone Google Book Search Hearing

September 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The Author's Guild and Association of American Publishers in the Google Book Search settlement asked District Court Judge Denny Chin to postpone his fairness hearing on the deal so they can work with Google and the Department of Justice on amending the agreement. Consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog further suggested that important issues affecting copyright law should not be negotiated behind closed doors.

Authors, Publishers Seek Delay In Google Case

September 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Two groups ask a federal judge for more time to address new issues in a settlement covering the firm's digital library project. A hearing is set for Oct. 7, but they want it moved to Nov. 6.</strong><br />  <br /> Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group in Santa Monica, objected to the "closed-door" nature of the negotiations with the Justice Department. "Key copyright issues must be settled by Congress in a fully public process," said John Simpson, a Consumer Watchdog spokesman.<br />

New Deal Sought In Dispute Over Google Book Plan

September 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Consumer Watchdog, a nonpartisan, nonprofit consumer advocacy group that has asked the court to reject the settlement, said in a statement that key copyright issues should be settled by Congress in a fully public process. "Essentially Google and the authors and publishers groups are back at square one and must re-negotiate the deal," said John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog who was one of eight witnesses to testify about the deal to the House Judiciary Committee. </p>

Google Working To Modify Settlement, Publishers Say

September 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Google Inc. and groups of authors and publishers are working to modify a $125 million settlement to create a digital library following criticism from parties including the U.S. Justice Department, the groups said. “Google and the authors and publisher groups are back at square one,” John Simpson, an advocate at Consumer Watchdog, a group in Santa Monica, California, said in a statement.

Justice Department Urges Judge To reject Google’s Digital Book Settlement

September 19, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Officials cite concerns that the agreement with authors and publishers could run afoul of antitrust and copyright laws. But they also propose modifications to make the settlement pass muster.</strong> <p> In recent months, many groups have voiced concerns over whether the agreement would give Google too much pricing power and whether the Mountain View, Calif., company would adequately safeguard reader privacy. Consumer Watchdog praised the move by Justice officials. "This is a victory for consumers and the broader public interest," said a group advocate, John Simpson. </p>

Court Urged to Reject Google Deal

September 19, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Justice Dept. Cites Possible Copyright, Antitrust Violations</strong><br /> <p> Critics of the agreement, including consumer groups and competitors Amazon and Microsoft, argue that it would give Google near exclusive licensing rights to millions of out-of-print books, potentially harming consumers by giving the company exclusive control over prices for digital books. "A single entity cannot be allowed to build a digital library based on a monopolistic advantage," said John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate with public interest group Consumer Watchdog. </p>

DOJ Urges Court To Reject (Unedited) Googlebooks Pact

September 19, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Concerns Over Class Action, Copyright, Antitrust Law</strong><br /> <br /> The DoJ was also praised by the consumer watchdog known as Consumer Watchdog, a notorious thorn in Google's side. But the watchdog argues that even if the DoJ's concerns are alleviated, the court should reject the settlement. "Solving the antitrust problem is only [part] of the problem,” said Consumer Watchdog's John Simpson.

DOJ Asks Court to Reject Google Book Search, Pending Changes

September 19, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The Department of Justice said the Google Book Search settlement would violate class action, copyright and antitrust law and said it should not be approved without changes. Consumer advocates were joyous about the DOJ's finding: "This is a victory for consumers and the broad public interest," said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog. "Consumer Watchdog supports digitization and digital libraries in a robust competitive market open to all organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, that offer fundamental privacy guarantees to users. But a single entity cannot be allowed to build a digital library based on a monopolistic advantage when its answer to serious questions from responsible critics boils down to: 'Trust us. Our motto is "Don't be evil."'" </p>

DOJ Urges Changes To Google Book Deal

September 19, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The Open Book Alliance, a group formed by interests who oppose the current settlement plan, said it was pleased with DOJ's action. Making books searchable, readable and downloadable can unlock huge amounts of cultural knowledge but the arrangement as drafted is the wrong way to go about making that promise a reality, the group said. One of Google's chief critics, a nonprofit called Consumer Watchdog, said even if DOJ's concerns are addressed, the settlement should not be implemented. </p>

U.S. Urges Court To Reject Google Book Deal

September 18, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog said he was pleased with the filing. "As the Justice brief makes clear, the proposed class-action settlement is monumentally overbroad and invites the court to overstep its legal jurisdiction, to the detriment of consumers and the public," Simpson said in an email. </p>

DOJ: Court Should Reject Google Book Search Settlement

September 18, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The U.S. Department of Justice has come out against the proposed agreement to settle copyright lawsuits that authors and major publishers filed against Google over the search company's book search program. Consumer Watchdog, a consumer protection organization that earlier this year urged the DOJ to get involved, filed a 30-page document opposing the agreement, saying it will "strip rights from millions of absent class members, worldwide, in violation of national and international copyright law, for the sole benefit of Google. There should be a competitive book-search market, while the U.S. Congress must solve the orphan works problem. The parties simply cannot justify this 'solution' which does not adequately protect the Rightsholders and unfairly benefits a single party," reads the Consumer Watchdog statement. </p>

DOJ: Google’s Book Settlement Needs Rewrite

September 18, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The U.S. Department of Justice late Friday urged the court overseeing Google's book search settlement with authors and publishers to reject the settlement in its current form, although it strongly hinted that the parties are flexible on certain provisions.