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Press Release
Consumer Watchdog Praises DOJ for Opposing Google Books Settlement
CONTACT: John M. Simpson 310 392-0522 ext. 317 or cell 310 292-1902
SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog praised the U.S. Department of
Justice today for opposing the amended Google Books Settlement. The DOJ
said that while there were improvements in the amended settlement,
problems with class certification, copyright and antitrust issues
remained.
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DOJ Not Pleased With Latest Google Book Agreement
CONTACT: Elinor Mills
4. February 2010
Although the amended settlement agreement for Google’s Book Search addressed some concerns the U.S. Justice Department had, it still could give the company anticompetitive advantages in the digital book marketplace, the agency said on Thursday. The nonprofit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog praised the Justice Department’s stance. "The settlement still abuses the class-action mechanism and purports to
enroll absent class members automatically into new business
‘opportunities,’ in violation of current copyright laws," Consumer
Watchdog reiterated from its friend-of-the-court brief opposing the
agreement as modified.
Two Congressmen ask Justice to scrutinize Google Books deal, government will comment on revised deal Thursday
3. February 2010
Two Texas Congressmen have asked the U.S. of Justice to ensure that the proposed Google Books Settlement not hurt minority publishers and small businesses. The department is scheduled to file its view of the amended settlement in federal court on Thursday.
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Google E-Book Bid Still Under Fire
CONTACT: Wire Reports
29. January 2010
Google’s bid to secure the digital rights to millions of books
remains under attack from rivals and other critics trying to block a
revised legal settlement that would unlock a vast electronic library.
The most strident criticism to the
changes so far has come from the same foes that have spearheaded the
resistance since last summer. The opposing camp includes the Open Book
Alliance, a group including Google rivals Microsoft Corporation, Yahoo
and Amazon.com, as well as Consumer Watchdog, a group that fights abusive business practices.
Press Release
Last-Minute Objections Filed To Google Book Settlement
CONTACT: Chris Lefkow
29. January 2010
and publishers that would allow Google to scan and sell millions of
books online filed a flurry of last-minute objections on Thursday. Consumer Watchdog said "the revised settlement suffers from the same fundamental problems as its predecessor." It
said it notably fails to do enough to protect reader privacy, violates
copyright laws and gives "unfair competitive advantages to Google."
4. February 2010