Inside Google

Press Release

Justice Is Probing Google’s Book Deal

CONTACT: Alex Pham

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.

Press Release

DOJ letter shows Google anti-trust probe is serious

CONTACT: John M. Simpson

The U.S. Justice Department is serious about probing the Google Books settlement for possible anti-trust violations. Consumer Watchdog was one of the first organizations to ask the department to investigate.

Press Release

DOJ Officially Opens Investigation Into Google Book Search

CONTACT: Nancy Gohring

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.

Press Release

Google Makes a Case That It Isn’t So Big

CONTACT: Miguel Helft

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.”

Hill Mulls Online Privacy Rules — And Which Agency Would Oversee

Anne Veigle Greg Piper

Consumer groups want rules requiring a standard disclosure and
opt-in form, a ban on tracking information on a consumer’s health,
sexual orientation and financial condition and a "do-not-track"
registry that would enable people to declare they don’t want to be
tracked, according to a written statement from the Consumer Federation
of America. That group, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer
Watchdog and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse have agreed on the
principles and are urging policymakers to adopt them. Allowing industry
to self-regulate won’t work, they say, because most companies rely on
"opt-out" mechanisms that are hidden from consumers. And the FTC’s
principles for behavioral advertising "don’t provide a basis for action
to stop abuses," the statement said.

Press Release

Google Says It Loves Competition

CONTACT: Richard Koman

With Justice Department scrutiny over the Google Books Settlement
only the the leading edge of antitrust regulators’ attention to Google,
the company has launched a dog-and-pony show dedicated to combating the
impression that more control is needed. In a presentation (PDF)
acquired by Consumer Watchdog, Google public affairs lead Adam
Kovacevich argued that Google is anything but anti-competitive. Its
success comes from “learning by doing,” the presentation says.

Press Release

Google Polishes Competition Charm Offensive

CONTACT: Tom Krazit

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Google continued to lay the groundwork Wednesday for
an antitrust defense in the event that the federal government decides
to take a formal look at its core business.
Inside a conference room in Google’s San Francisco office,
executives ran through essentially the same presentation leaked last
month by the consumer activist group Consumer Watchdog,
focusing most of their efforts on trying to paint a picture of Google
as just one part of a large Internet ecosystem, as opposed to a
dominant search giant.

Press Release

Reports: DOJ Turns Up The Heat On Google’s Book Deal

CONTACT: Juan Carlos Perez

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.

Google Openness Is A Closed Door — Open Source Versus An Open Mind

Cade Metz

When Google meets with Congressional staffers, hoping to convince US lawmakers that it’s nothing but good for the world, the web giant likes to say that it believes in openness. "Open is better than closed, “the company says. Open "enhances competition" and "encourages innovation.” But if you ask the company to discuss its openness, it’s not too open about it. Late last week, the consumer watchdog known only as Consumer Watchdog
uncovered the canned pitch that Google recently launched at Capitol Hill in an effort to re-spin itself.

Press Release

U. Chicago Law Prof Criticizes Settlement That Could Give Google Monopoly On ‘Orphaned’ Texts

CONTACT: Maria Mauriello

CHICAGO, IL — University of Chicago law professor Randal Picker raised
concerns recently over a court settlement that will grant Google the
exclusive right to publish orphaned texts –- texts which remain under
copyright, but whose copyright holder can’t be identified or found-a
move he felt could give Google a powerful monopoly. A group of professors from Harvard Law School, and the Internet
Archive, have each independently filed motions to intervene in the case
on the grounds of antitrust violations. Several groups, including The
Internet Archive and Consumer Watchdog, have also raised concerns about
the issue to the U.S. Department of Justice, which so far has not
displayed any intention to involve itself in the case.