Google Book Settlement Negotiations Continue
As of today, federal judge Denny Chin granted a motion to delay the planned October 7th Google Book settlement. In a trial rife with controversy, Chin noted that it was pointless to hold a hearing on a settlement when key points were still being negotiated with the Department of Justice. According to the New York Times, "The first clear signs that the settlement in its current form would be derailed came late Friday, when the Justice Department raised a number of legal and antitrust objections to it." Nevertheless, with so many objections filed, it appears to the public like the revision process has never really stopped.
More than 400 objections have been filed from various groups. Some of those include the National Writers Union, Yahoo and Microsoft and even concerned privacy advocates.
While Judge Chin notes that the settlement can have positive affects on the public, he states, "It would appear that if a fair and reasonable settlement can be struck, the public would benefit. Under all the circumstances, it makes no sense to conduct a hearing on the fairness and reasonableness of the current settlement agreement, as it does not appear that the current settlement will be the operative one."
Instead of the hearing, the court will hold a status conference to review next steps to the case. To view the order visit the Google Book Settlement Page.
Photo Credit: Timothy Vollmer
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I like the idea of a court oversight agreement; but much depends on the judge. We could end up with a messy situation (both good and bad) like the Bell divestiture oversight exercised by Judge Harold Greene.