Since the deadline for authors to opt out is 9/4, I posed this question yesterday on Twitter and Facebook: "Should I opt out of the Google Books Settlement? Did you?" Answers came from a few people:
@jlbellwriter: I opted in with Google Books. I use that service about every two hours, so I figure I don't really have a case against it.So what did I do? I didn't opt out, but I did claim my books. Chime in below with your decision. Now if only I could figure out what to do about that Google Adsense Settlement ...
@jlbellwriter: Plus, Google Books is free marketing. And I don't plan to sue a company with billions of dollars over micro-royalties.
@juliadevillers: My agency (Wm Morris Endeavor) very publicly suggested we opt out. Articles were written, debate ensued. I did opt out.
@juliadevillers: William Morris Endeavor stance and followup Publisher's Weekly story.
@kdueykduey: I haven't, but I have been so busy, I am underinformed. But they have, like 150 pages of Skin Hunger up. With gaps, but 150!
@Bonnie Adamson: If you want to retain your right to sue individually, you should opt out. Not a feasible option for me, so I registered.
Alexandra Finn: Having done products liability for years, I can say that usually, the only reason to opt out of a class action is because you are going to sue on your own. So you have to ask yourself: Are you really? Is it worth it? In this case, probably not. It's not worth your time and effort.
5 comments:
My fabulous agent Faye Bender, whom I trust in all things, recommended I participate, so I didn't opt out, and I claimed my books.
Thanks for the reminder, though... I should maybe go back and see if the second book is up on the site now for me to claim...
Hi Mitali,
I really appreciate this very useful and timely post that gives all of us authors a kick in the pants to take action on our rights rather than let our digital futures be decided by default!
Thanks!
Rilla Jaggia
I'm afraid I can't help, but maybe this BBC article would be of interest?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8233324.stm
Opted out. Google settlement is a giant giveaway in which Google becomes, in effect, everybody's agent, and sets the price for everyone. The more people who opt out, the better chance of torpedoing the whole thing; and it's clear that the Author's Guild has behaved like a company-sweetheart union in the whole thing.
The whole thing needs to go back to Congress; allowing one federal district judge to effectively rewrite all of copyright law in the interests of one corporation is the essence of corruption.
I signed on, claimed all five (adult nf) books, and drat. Not a single one had been scanned. So much for the new couch I was gonna buy with the proceeds...
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