Google Books Settlement Under Justice Department Review

After meetings with parties rallying against the Google Books settlement–including the Internet Archive and Consumer Watchdog–the Justice Department decided to review the settlement that will allow Google to provide scanned access to millions of books.

According to The New York Times, the Justice Department told Google, the Association of American Publishers, and the Authors Guild that they will consider if the settlement presents antitrust problems. Yesterday, a federal judge granted authors a four-month extension to consider the settlement.

Here’s more from the article: “The inquiry does not necessarily mean that the department will oppose the settlement, which is subject to a court review. But it suggests that some of the concerns raised by critics, who say the settlement would unfairly give Google an exclusive license to profit from millions of books, have resonated with the Justice Department.”

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