Tag Archive | "going to court"
U.S. Urges Court To Reject Google Book Deal
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.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Praises Department Of Justice Action In Google Books Case, Warns Major Issues Including Lack Of Privacy Guarantees Remain Problematic
Friday, September 18, 2009
SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog praised the U.S. Justice Department for objecting to the proposed Google Books settlement in a brief the department filed in U.S. District Court tonight. The nonpartisan, nonprofit consumer group had asked the Justice Department to intervene in the case on antitrust grounds last April. Justice announced it was investigating in July. Justice’s objections tonight went beyond antitrust concerns.
Continue reading...DOJ: Court Should Reject Google Book Search Settlement
Friday, September 18, 2009
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.
Continue reading...DOJ: Google’s Book Settlement Needs Rewrite
Friday, September 18, 2009
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.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Tells Justice Any Google Deal Must Include Means Of Enforcement
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC -- Any plan offered by Google meant to overcome objections to the proposed Google Books settlement must include a “binding agreement with the full force of law,” Consumer Watchdog told the U.S. Justice Department today. Justice has until Friday to file its position on the books settlement with the court.
Continue reading...Google Strives To Build Biggest Online Library
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Internet-search giant Google is making conciliatory gestures in an effort to blunt mounting opposition to a copyright deal that is the foundation of its plan to build the biggest online library, Google Books. Urging the court to reject the Google Books deal, Consumer Watchdog, a consumer group, said last week the proposed settlement conflicts with international copyright treaties such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. It "would strip rights from millions of absent-class members worldwide, for the sole benefit of Google," referring to authors and publishers who did not or could not opt out of the deal between Google and the Guild for the Google Book Search.
Continue reading...Google Books Settlement Facing Scrutiny
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Concerns center on possible monopoly, invasion of privacy John M. Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, a California-based non-profit, said a key problem is the unfair competitive advantage Google receives under the settlement that comes from its attempt to pull an end-run around the appropriate legislative solution to the orphan books problem. “This is not an issue for a court and certainly one that cannot be settled by solving the problem for one large corporation and no one else,” he said in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee last week.
Continue reading...DC Dispatch: The week in review
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Things got busy fast this week in DC as Congress returned from the month-long summer break. Finance committee chair Sen. Max Baucus released his long-awaited health reform proposal on Tuesday after months of closed-door meetings...
Continue reading...Lawmakers Created Google Settlement Mess, But Some Urge Staying Out Of It
Friday, September 11, 2009
By failing to pass orphan works legislation in previous sessions, Congress practically guaranteed a messy settlement would result from Google's scanning and display of millions of out-of-print works found only in libraries, several lawmakers said at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday. Consumer Watchdog's John M. Simpson, perhaps Google's most vocal nonprofit critic in Washington, said the settlement "simply furthers the relatively narrow agenda" of Google, the Authors Guild and Association of American Publishers. Congress should pass orphan-works or fair-use legislation, so Google won't get an "unprecedented monopolistic advantage" over some books.
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Backs Digital Libraries, Opposes Google Books Settlement Deal
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Testimony Says Deal Violates Law, Is Anti-Competitive And Raises Privacy Concerns WASHINGTON, DC -- The proposed Google Books settlement should be rejected because it is anticompetitive, violates both U.S. and international law and raises substantial threats to privacy, Consumer Watchdog’s John M. Simpson told the House Judiciary Committee today.
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Friday, September 18, 2009
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