Tag Archive | "litigation"
Genentech Chairman Resigns From Google Board
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Genentech chairman Arthur Levinson has resigned from the board of directors of Google amid a probe by US authorities into his membership of the boards of both the Internet giant and Apple. Advocacy group Consumer Watchdog also welcomed Levinson's resignation, saying he had "acted correctly" in stepping down. "We're pleased that Arthur Levinson finally realized that serving on both Google's and Apple's boards was untenable," said John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog. "It took too long, but he finally did the right thing."
Continue reading...Publishers and Authors Ask To Delay Google Hearing To Negotiate New Settlement
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Consumer Watchdog Says Copyright Issues For Congress, Not Closed-Door Deals SANTA M0NICA, CA —Publisher and author associations sought today to cancel a key hearing in the Google Books case to allow private negotiations with Google over digitizing books online. Consumer Watchdog warned that important issues affecting copyright law should not be negotiated behind closed doors.
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...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.
Continue reading...Flurry Of Last-Minute Objections to Google Book Project
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog warned that "if the settlement were approved, it would give Google a default monopoly to books for which the rightsholders cannot be located, resulting in unfair competitive advantages to Google in the search engine, electronic book sales, and other markets."
Continue reading...Consumer Watchdog Urges Court To Reject Google Books Deal, Calls New Privacy Policy Inadequate
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Brief Argues Books Settlement Violates Both U.S. And International Copyright Law, Is Anticompetitive WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consumer Watchdog today filed a brief urging a federal court to reject the proposed Google Books settlement because it is anticompetitive and violates both U.S. and international law. Separately, the consumer group called a Books privacy policy Google offered late last week inadequate.
Continue reading...Microsoft’s Secret ‘Screw Google’ Meetings In D.C.
Friday, August 28, 2009
In recent months, two heavily detailed, annotated versions of confidential Google slide presentations -- one dealing with competition issues, the other with behavioral targeting -- have been published by a Santa Monica–based group called Consumer Watchdog. The annotations are highly critical of Google and seek to rebut the search giant's arguments.
Continue reading...DOJ Officially Opens Investigation Into Google Book Search
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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.
Continue reading...Google’s New Scourge Strikes A Nerve
Friday, May 15, 2009
In-your-face watchdog gets advice from Microsoft 'people,' interest from Verizon SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Google Inc. has attracted a number of critics over the years, but the Internet search giant hasn't yet had to deal with any as jarringly adversarial as Consumer Watchdog. "Their tactics tend to be more confrontational than others'," said Tim Little, executive director of the Rose Foundation, an Oakland, Calif.-based organization that funds Consumer Watchdog. "But sometimes there's a place for folks being confrontational."
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Monday, October 12, 2009
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