Month: August 2009

Written by Editor Charlie

Google to Switzerland: Have your people call our people

“Copyright Google Inc.” That’s what you see shimmering in the background over each image from Google Street View in what has to be the creepiest of many creepy freaks that spring from the intellectual loins of the Leviathan of Mountain View. Just so we’re clear–that is NOT a Creative Commons license. In addition to harassing […]

Written by Editor Charlie

AAP Counsel: Beware of the Rabble

As the witching hour of the Google Books Settlement draws nigh, a telling slip from the Association of American Publishers counsel Allan Adler, from whose intellectual loins sprang this freak (at least in part): “As for having to wait until October to see whether the settlement is approved, there’s only one thing that bothers Adler: […]

Written by Editor Charlie

New Zealand Herald: Google Books is Cultural Imperialism

An excellent article on Google Books from the New Zealand Herald: “‘The deal is cultural imperialism on a par with the 1980s US flexing of military might over nuclear ship visits, says the Auckland branch secretary of the Society of Authors, Adrian Blackburn. ” … This monopolistic pre-emptive grab by a hugely wealthy US business […]

Written by Editor Charlie

Google Books: Implications for Ex-US Rights Holders

In one of the best summaries I’ve seen on the implications of the Google Books settlement for ex-US rights holders, the New Zealand Society of Authors told its members: “Unless New Zealand authors or publishers formally opt out of the settlement, or formally opt in but request Google not to digitize and/or display their books, […]

Written by Editor Charlie

Open Book Alliance

One doesn’t want to count one’s chickens before they are in the pot, but Google’s latest attempt at cornering the world’s information–well maybe not the latest, but a significant one–just got a little less likely to succeed. According to the AP, Microsoft, Yahoo, Amazon and the Internet Archive are going full bore at opposing the […]

Written by Editor Charlie

EFF in a bunch again over Burning Man

Here’s the latest scary corporate bugaboo from the EFFluviati: Burning Man (creepy Eric Schmidt’s fav) has some terms of use that protect the integrity of its brand and give EFF yet another chance to alarm the masses about the evils of success–sorry–intellectual property rights. Check out the EFFluvia from the Deep Thoughts blog.

Written by Editor Charlie

William Morris Endeavor: Opt out of Google Books Settlement

Not surprisingly, the William Morris Endeavor talent agency has advised its clients–twice–to opt out of the Google Books settlement: “There is an important right that is relinquished under the terms of the Settlement that the Authors Guild does not adequately address. In addition to waiving their right to sue Google for infringement, they waive, again […]