The court-ordered process of officially notifying authors, publishers and other copyright-holders about the Google Book Search class-action settlement is in progress, it has been reported. Authors and publishers worldwide are receiving detailed information about their legal rights and options by e-mail and postal mail. A summary notice is being published in 218 countries and 72 languages, which complements the mailed notice programme. Class members can visit http://www.googlebooksettlement.com for complete information, including the Notice of Class Action Settlement, and key dates.
The Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers and Google announced the proposed settlement in late October 2008. The settlement, if court-approved, will authorise Google to scan in-copyright books and inserts in the US, maintain an electronic database of books, and make various uses of the books as specified in the settlement. For out-of-print books and, if permitted by rightsholders of in-print books, Google will be able to sell access to individual books and institutional subscriptions to the database. It can also place advertisements on any page dedicated to a book, and make other commercial uses of books. At any time, rightsholders can change instructions to Google regarding any of those uses. Through a Book Rights Registry established by the settlement, Google will pay rightsholders 63 percent of all revenues from these uses. The settlement also provides for cash payments to rightsholders of books and inserts that Google scans prior to May 5, 2009.
Class members' rights may be affected by the settlement even if they do not act. Those who wish to opt out of or object to the settlement must do so by May 5, 2009. The US District Court for the Southern District of New York will consider whether to grant final approval of the settlement at a hearing on June 11, 2009.
