Writers' groups lobby US Congress against Google books deal

[Jacaylbaro]

Less than a month after Ursula K Le Guin accused the Authors Guild of a "deal with the devil" over its support of Google's plans to scan and digitise millions of books, three US writers' groups have appealed to authors in the US Congress to speak out against the deal.

 

The presidents of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the National Writers Union and the American Society of Journalists and Authors yesterday wrote to more than 60 authors in Congress urging them to protest against the Google books settlement.

 

"As fellow authors, you know the freedom to negotiate your own book contract is basic and precious. We hope you will join us in speaking in opposition to the amended settlement," the letter, from presidents Larry Goldbetter from the NWU, Russell Davis from the SFFWA and Salley Shannon from the ASJA, said. "It isn't fair. There are millions of book authors in this country who could be locked into an agreement they don't understand and didn't ask for."

 

Google was last year forced to amend the $125m (£78.5m) deal to digitise books it reached with the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers in 2008 after objections from a range of groups including the US Department of Justice. It presented a revised settlement to a New York federal court in November, and a final hearing is now scheduled for 18 February.

 

But Goldbetter, Davis and Shannon told Congress members that "the amended version of the settlement still creates a de facto monopoly for Google at the expense of all Americans". "The Constitution says copyright is essential and gives Congress responsibility for it, not Google and a gaggle of lawyers," they wrote. "The Department of Justice detailed fundamental flaws to the Court in September. A preponderance of those flaws remain. We urge you, as an author and member of Congress, to contact the DOJ and implore them to continue their close scrutiny of this settlement. Authors need to stick together."

 

In December, Le Guin resigned from the Authors Guild after almost 40 years' membership over its support of the Google books settlement.

 

"You decided to deal with the devil, as it were, and have presented your arguments for doing so. I wish I could accept them. I can't. There are principles involved, above all the whole concept of copyright; and these you have seen fit to abandon to a corporation, on their terms, without a struggle," she wrote in her letter of resignation.

 

But Le Guin retained her membership in the NWU and SFFWA, telling the Authors Guild that "they don't have your clout, but their judgment, I think, is sounder, and their courage greater".

[Jacaylbaro]

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