Public Policy Connections

DOJ Investigating Google Books Settlement

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a formal investigation into the settlement between Google and book publishers over digital publishing rights. In a letter sent last week to the federal judge charged with reviewing the settlement, the DOJ said it was reviewing concerns that the agreement could violate the Sherman Antitrust Act.

SLA has been active in discussions with Google about the proposed settlement. At SLA’s 2009 Public Policy Update, Dan Clancy, engineering director, Google Book Search, provided an overview of the scope of the Google Book Search Settlement Agreement and addressed various concerns and questions from audience members.
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New Web site Provides U.S. Federal IT Investment Details

The new IT Dashboard is a Web site that enables federal agencies and the general public to the view the details of U.S. Federal information technology investments. The Dashboard provides transparency into the U.S. government’s budget, allowing users to view specific departments, view status information on projects, and compare spending over time and between departments. The Dashboard displays data received from agency reports to the Office of Management and Budget.

Library of Congress Providing Free Online Access to CSB

The Library of Congress is providing free online access to the entire 31 years of the Cataloging Service Bulletin (CSB). The CSB is a quarterly bulletin that includes current, new and revised information about the Library’s cataloging and classification practices and policies. The bulletin can be viewed at www.loc.gov/cds/PDFdownloads/csb/.  Hard copies or paper versions of the bulletin are still available by paid subscription.
Read Library of Congress news release.

2008 Country Reports Now Available on IFLA Site

On 24 June, IFLA posted the 2008 Country Reports. The reports contain changes in national copyright legislation, lobby and educational activities, law cases, and strategic plans for the future.

Google Presents at SLA2009 in Washington, DC

On 16 June, at the Public Policy Update session at SLA2009, Dan Clancy, engineering director, Google Book Search, provided an overview of the scope of the Google Book Search Settlement Agreement and addressed various concerns and questions from audience members on a number of topics, including: orphan works, institutional pricing, privacy, and intellectual freedom. Google representatives have been meeting individually with library associations, as well as other groups, to answer questions and address issues. 

In May, Derek Slater, policy analyst with Google, met with staff at SLA headquarters to discuss and address various concerns that have been voiced by SLA members over the settlement. On 2 June, Derek Slater, in comments, provided responses to several topics, including orphan works -- stating that it will remain one of Google's priorities to work to pass effective orphan works legislation.

Attend SLA’s Public Policy Update: Google to Speak on Book Search Settlement!

SLA's Public Policy Update will take place Tuesday, 16 June 2009, 11:30a.m.-1:00p.m. at SLA2009 in Convention Center 143A. Google recently met with staff at SLA headquarters to discuss and address various concerns that have been voiced by SLA members over the Google Book Search Settlement. As a result of the meeting, Google has agreed to have Dan Clancy, engineering director, Google Book Search, join us at the Update. Please attend to hear an overview of the settlement, pose questions you may have, and voice your praises or concerns.

EFF Launches 'Teaching Copyright' Curriculum and Web site

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has launched its own 'Teaching Copyright' curriculum and Web site to help educators teach students about their digital rights and responsibilities on the Internet and beyond. The curriculum connects students to contemporary issues related to the Internet and technology--encouraging students to make full and fair use of technology. The Web site, www.teachingcopyright.org, includes guides to copyright law, including fair use and the public domain.

Read EFF press release.

Google Comments on SLA Concerns Voiced Over Book Settlement

As reported in our Public Policy blog on 28 May, Derek Slater, policy analyst with Google, met with staff at SLA headquarters to discuss and address various concerns that have been voiced by SLA members over the Google Book Search Settlement, now pending court approval.

On 2 June, Derek Slater commented on that blog post, providing responses to several topics, including orphan works -- stating that it will remain one of Google's priorities to work to pass effective orphan works legislation.

Read Derek Slater's comments.

Conference Board of Canada Recalls Reports after Plagariarism Charges

As reported on 27 May, the Conference Board of Canada was accused of plagiarizing from a U.S. lobby group's documents, which label Canadians as the file-swapping capital of the world. The Conference Board of Canada has now recalled three reports and issued a statement that an internal review determined that these reports did not follow their high quality research standards.
Read news story.

EU to Study Affects of Google Book Search Agreement on Authors

The European Commission plans to study Google’s Book Search Settlement Agreement to review how the settlement with authors in the United States affects writers' rights in the EU.

Read news story.