Judge Nixes delay in Google Settlement Process

["Okerson, Ann" <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

Publishers Weekly writes:

A federal judge overseeing the approval process for the Google 
Book Search settlement has rejected an attempt by the Internet 
Archive (IA) to intervene in the action. In a short ruling 
released today, Judge Dennis Chin wrote that he construed the 
IA's letter to the court, filed last week, as "a motion to 
intervene," and denied it. "The proposed interveners are, 
however, free to file objections to the proposed settlement." 
Objections and comments must be filed by May 5.

The IA had asked the court to alter the proposed settlement to 
give other companies that have scanned printed books the same 
protections regarding orphan works that would be granted to 
Google under the terms of the settlement. The IA has said it does 
not want to file an amicus brief, also known as a friend of the 
court brief, as other parties said they intend to do, because it 
believes "there are no existing parties in the case that could 
adequately represent the Archive's interests, or the interest of 
other Internet content providers." It also said it does not 
intend to oppose the settlement.

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