Wednesday, March 23, 2011

GBS, RIP?

Federal judge Denny Chin yesterday rejected the proposed Google Books Settlement, calling it "not fair, adequate and reasonable." Read the ruling [PDF], or start with a roundup of some coverage:

- Begin with Jennifer Howard's report in the Chronicle: "Judge Rejects Settlement in Google Books Case, Saying It Goes Too Far."

- Miguel Helft writes it up for the NYTimes: "Judge Rejects Google's Deal to Digitize Books."

- Andrew Albanese and Jim Milliot have a Publishers Weekly report, "Google Settlement is Rejected."

- Don't miss James Grimmelmann's take at The Laboratorium, "Inside Judge Chin's Opinion."

- Kenneth Crews of the Columbia University Copyright Advisory Office offers a good summary: "Google Books: Copyright Settlement Rejected" [h/t @JenHoward]

- Also see Carolyn Kellogg's post at Jacket Copy.

More news links here. It'll be interesting to see whether the parties take Judge Chin's advice and try to reconfigure the settlement as opt-in rather than opt-out, and whether the ruling will lead to louder calls for Congress to get its act together and deal with orphan works and other legal issues involved here.