Inside Google

Authors & consumers uniting against Google book deal

Jamie Court

Google’s overreaching in trying to tightly control scanned digital copies of world literature has stuck an alarm bell with more than just consumers and the Justice Department

Google Lobs $880,000 At Health Record Lobby – What Ye Worry?

Cade Metz

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Why is Google lobbying the US Congress over the webification of the nation’s health records? It won’t say. But lobbying it is. Consumer Watchdog is convinced that Google is lobbying for exclusion
from the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA), which provides privacy protections for America’s personal
health records. As it stands, the laws that govern what doctors can do
with a patient’s medical records do not apply to the Google Chocolate
Factory. If you upload your health records to Google, you have to
assume the company will always do the right thing.

Press Release

Google Book Deal Targeted by Justice Department

CONTACT: Nicholas Kolakowski

Google has reportedly been questioned by the U.S. Justice Department over whether its plans to digitize the world’s books into an online database represents a potential antitrust violation. An advocate for Consumer Watchdog, John M. Simpson, wrote a letter to
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking for government intervention in
Google’s settlement with the Author’s Guild and the Association of
American Publishers, arguing that it should have been reviewed to see
if it met "the interests of consumers."

Press Release

US Justice Department Probes Google Settlement

CONTACT: Richard Waters

John M. Simpson, an advocate with Consumer Watchdog, a California consumer
group, said his organization had been contacted by justice department
lawyers to discuss orphaned rights after protesting about this aspect
of the Google book settlement early this month. Meanwhile, a second
person said that the anti-trust agency had also held talks with lawyers
for Google on the same issue in the last two weeks.

Press Release

U.S. Opens Inquiry Into Google Books Deal

CONTACT: Miguel Helft

The Justice Department has begun an inquiry into
the antitrust implications of Google’s settlement with authors and
publishers over its Google Book Search service, two people briefed on
the matter said Tuesday. Lawyers for the Justice Department have been in conversations in recent
weeks with various groups opposed to the settlement, including the
Internet Archive and Consumer Watchdog.

Federal Report Shines Light On Google’s EMR Lobbying Effforts

Molly Merrill

According to first quarter federal reports, Google
participated in lobbying efforts aimed at allowing the sale of
electronic medical records in the economic stimulus legislation. This contradicts the Internet giant’s earlier response to Consumer
Watchdog, a California-based, non-profit consumer education and
advocacy organization, that their claims against Google were "100
percent false."

Press Release

Justice Department Reviews Google Book Deal

CONTACT: Alex Pham and David Sarno

The U.S. Justice Department is making antitrust inquiries into
Google Inc.’s settlement with authors and publishers over the Internet
giant’s project to scan millions of books and put them online. The Justice Department also contacted Consumer Watchdog after the Santa
Monica advocacy group sent it a letter expressing concerns about the
deal. "They talked to us with what I thought was great interest," John
Simpson of Consumer Watchdog said.

Press Release

Judge Issues Extension In Google Book Search Settlement

CONTACT: Daniel Terdiman

A federal judge has granted authors worldwide four more months to
decide whether to participate in a settlement involving Google’s online
Book Search service. "The four-month extension is a big victory for those who oppose the
Google Books settlement," said John Simpson, a consumer advocate with
Consumer Watchdog. "It’s a clear recognition by the judge that there
are problems with the proposed deal. The extension also gives the
Justice Department more time to consider the antitrust issues that we
and others have raised and discussed with them."

U.S. Senate Records Reveal Google Inc. Lobbying Campaign On Personal Medical Records Law Despite Internet Giant’s Denials

John M. Simpson

Washington, DC — First quarter federal reports show Google lobbied on
the electronic medical records provisions of the federal economic
stimulus act, contradicting the Internet giant’s earlier claims that
Consumer Watchdog’s report of its effort was “100 percent false.”

Press Release

Google seeks delay in book settlement

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

Faced with mounting criticism of the proposed Google Books settlement, the Internet giant has asked the court to extend the time for authors, publishers…