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Well, it’s a good nod to almost-transparency, anyway. But just so you remember: Google would have preferred you not see these materials at all! And Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court remains concerned…
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Consumer Watchdog — which, as the name implies is a consumer watchdog organization — is raising alarms over privacy concerns that have been brought to the fore as online search company Google engages in wheeling and dealing before the House Communications and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.
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The Department of Justice confirms its investigation into whether Google’s $125 million Book Search settlement violates U.S. antitrust laws. Opponents fear the agreement gives the search engine giant too much power in the digital book world. The fairness hearing is set for Oct. 7, 2009. "The fact that the Justice Department decided to formally notify the
judge in the Google Book Search class action settlement that it is
investigating the deal is an important development," consumer advocate
for Consumer Watchdog John Simpson said in an e-mail to eWEEK.
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Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, also predicted
the settlement would "pass muster" because it opens up new markets. But
those concerned about the settlement said they were pleased with the
Justice Department’s letter. "This is now a clear step that they are
taking the matter seriously." said John M. Simpson, an advocate for
Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit consumer group.
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The Justice Department on Thursday said it had launched a formal antitrust investigation into the proposed settlement over the Google Inc. project to scan millions of books into a digital format. In recent months, a number of parties have objected to the settlement, including Consumer Watchdog in Santa Monica, the American Library Assn. and the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization that seeks to digitize public domain books and make them freely available online. Many of the objections involve concerns that Google would create a monopoly on digital books.
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The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed on Thursday that it is
investigating a settlement involving Google Book Search for possible
antitrust violations, following months of speculation that the agency
had its eye on the service. Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit group,
argues that the proposal gives Google special protections against
lawsuits over the orphan works. Those special protections would
discourage potential Google competitors from entering the digital book
business unless they could negotiate a similar protection, the group
argues. Consumer Watchdog has urged the DOJ to examine the settlement.
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Eyes are rolling, especially in reaction to the idea that Google is a
relatively small player in a giant market. “They describe where they
are in a market under a kind of a fairy-tale spun gloss that doesn’t
reflect their dominance of key sectors,” said Jeff Chester, executive
director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Google search is an
absolute must-have for every marketer in the world.”
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The U.S. Department of Justice has stepped up its review of a deal that would settle a lawsuit publishers and authors filed against Google over the latter’s book search engine, according to published reports. Consumer Watchdog has charged that the proposed settlement gives Google special protections against lawsuits over orphan works.
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The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly investigating Google’s
digital books settlement with publishers, which Google claims will make
millions of volumes accessible to all but which has critics crying
antitrust issues. Google’s books project has run into opposition from a
number of groups, including Consumer Watchdog, arguing that it gives the search engine company too
much control over content with little oversight.
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A pair of consumer advocacy groups sent the White House a letter on
Wednesday urging the administration not to appoint Google’s Andrew
McLaughlin to the post, a move reported to be in works by several media
outlets. McLaughlin is Google’s director of global public policy. That means he
has been “responsible for Google’s worldwide lobbying efforts,” said
the letter from Consumer Watchdog and Center for Digital Democracy. Obama has issued an executive order barring anyone who has worked as a
lobbyist in the past two years from serving in a federal agency that
they lobbied.
