Google, AAP, and Author's Guild

As many of you know, the Authors Guild, the AAP and Google recently reached a proposed settlement of copyright infringement lawsuits arising from Google’s Library Project in which Google has been digitizing university library books without copyright holders’ permission.

The proposed settlement will affect both authors and publishers of books copyrighted in the United States. Starting in early January 2009, the proposed settlement will be presented to authors and publishers by the Authors Guild, the AAP and Google. Authors and publishers will have four months to decide whether they want to “opt out” of the settlement. Those who want to “opt out” must do so by May 4, 2009. Those who agree to the settlement may participate with Google in sales, subscription and advertising revenues.

Though the proposed settlement is complex (it covers both Google's past digitization of some 7 million books without permission and Google's right to display those titles in the future), the AAP and the Authors Guild will be working with their respective memberships to explain the settlement before May 4, 2009.

If you receive inquiries about the settlement, we recommend that you refer them to the following sites/web pages so that they can become familiar with the terms of the proposed settlement.

• Settlement web site: http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders/
• Note that you can sign up for email updates concerning the settlement.
• You can read the actual proposed settlement agreement at: http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders/agreement-contents.html
• There is also a good, understandable description of the proposed settlement, the draft Class Notice, at:

http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders/notice.html.