Tag Archive | "justice department"
Judge Rejects Amazon Bid To Scrap Google Pact
NEW YORK - A federal judge has rejected Amazon.com Inc's request that he withdraw preliminary approval of a settlement between Google Inc and groups of authors and publishers to digitize millions of books. Critics of the deal have been a varied group that includes Amazon, Yahoo, Microsoft, the National Writers Union, Consumer Watchdog and singer Arlo Guthrie.
Continue reading...Google’s Book-Scan Deal Is Not Solid Yet
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Google Inc.'s settlement with authors and publishers over the digital scanning of books got a preliminary approval from a federal judge last week, but the controversy may be far from over. In fact, legal experts and industry observers who have been closely following the case believe the fight over Google's ambitious book-scanning efforts is just starting all over again.
Continue reading...Antitrust Concerns Linger In Google Books Deal
Monday, November 16, 2009
The revised Google Books settlement agreement may quiet international opponents, but it still gives Google a monopoly on commercializing out-of-print books where the copyrights are unclaimed and fails to protect consumer privacy, opponents said on Monday. Also troubling to critics is the fact that the revised settlement circumvents traditional copyright provisions by allowing Google to digitize orphan works without first getting rights holder permission, while any Google competitors are blocked from doing so barring legislation granting them licensing rights. "For the millions of volumes of orphan books that Google has already scanned in, they can offer those without risk of anyone coming forward and suing them for infringement," said John Simpson, a consumer advocate at Consumer Watchdog.
Continue reading...Google submits revised digital book settlement to US judge
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Google and US authors and publishers submitted a revised settlement to a US judge Friday seeking approval of an agreement that would clear the way for millions of books to be sold online. Rival technology companies, privacy advocates, consumer watchdog groups and the French and German governments are among those who filed objections to the original settlement with the US District Court in New York hearing the case.
Continue reading...Google, Authors Try To Answer Book Deal Concerns
Saturday, November 14, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Google and the Authors Guild filed a new version of a deal to create a massive online library on Friday in hopes of answering antitrust and copyright concerns in the United States and overseas. Critics of the deal have been a varied group that includes Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, the National Writers Union, Consumer Watchdog and singer Arlo Guthrie.
Continue reading...Google Selected To Handle City’s E-mail Operation
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
CONTRACT: Deal Could Save $5 Million, But Some Still Have Security Concerns Google trumped Microsoft and Novell on Tuesday, winning a $7.25 million contract to create an e-mail system for workers in Los Angeles. John Simpson with the group Consumer Watchdog warned against adopting the Google system until more work is completed on security. "It may be the thing of the future, but I'm not sure it is there yet," Simpson said. "The security checks don't exist yet. It is the gleam in Google's eyes." Part of the City Council's approval was based on promises from Google that it will reimburse the city for any damages.
Continue reading...Critics Of Google Online-Books Deal Seek Delay
Thursday, October 22, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Critics of Google's deal with an authors' group to put millions of books online have asked for a delay in a hearing set to consider the settlement in a court filing on Thursday. A long list of critics of the deal, including Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft, the National Writers Union, Consumer Watchdog and singer Arlo Guthrie, argued on Thursday that the original class action settlement was long and complex and any changes would only add to its complexity
Continue reading...Will City of L.A. jump into Google’s cloud?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I spent all afternoon Monday waiting at the LA City Council Budget Committee to give the Council members my two minutes on why Google's proposal to put the City's computing into its cloud could be dangerous. In a nutshell: Security,...
Continue reading...Internet Users Oppose Being Tracked, Study Says
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Backer of Google Critic Supports Research Showing Users Don't Want Tailored Ads SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Roughly two-thirds of Americans oppose being tracked on the Internet in exchange for receiving tailored advertising, according to a new study by scholars from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley.
Continue reading...Fairness Hearing Postponed For Google Books Deal
Thursday, September 24, 2009
John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog who testified about the deal before the House Judiciary Committee, said any agreement should also involve input from Congress. He said the agreement as it now stands would have given Google a monopoly over the digitizing of books. "The judge put his fingers exactly on the issues in the case," Simpson said.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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