Event Information

The Google Settlement –implications for UK publishers and authors

Date: 07 October 2009   Drinks: 18:30   Talk Starts: 19:30 OPuS Event

Description

Sponsored by Manches LLP

Please email secretary@opusnet.co.uk to sign up for this event

On 28 October 2008 the AAP and the US Authors Guild signed an agreement with Google over their Library Project, which is part of the Google Book Search programme. The settlement resolves the lawsuit that publishers and authors in the US launched in 2005 against Google for digitising and showing extracts of in-copyright books without rightsholders’ permission. Although the settlement only directly affects users’ experience of Google Book Search in the US, over the past twelve months the implications of the Settlement for publishers and other rightsholders based in the UK and Europe have become more evident daily, and (for some) more worrying. The date of this event coincides with that of the Fairness Hearing at which the judge will decide whether the Settlement is to be upheld. Many parties have already expressed concerns and it is to be hoped that some immediate comments on the ruling will be possible.

The event will be moderated by Anthony Watkinson, who has responsibility for the publishing law module in the publishing MA at University College London, and the speakers are Benjamin King and Diane Spivey. Benjamin is head of policy and communications at the Publishers Association. He will explain the settlement and the issues as they present themselves to the representative body for our industry in this country. Diane is rights and contracts director at Little Brown in London. Both speakers have asked it to be made clear that their comments may not represent the views of their organisations and should be treated under Chatham House rule by the audience in order to enable a frank and open question and answer session.

OICPS/PA Trade Mission to India The Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies and The Publishers Association are jointly organising a trade mission to Delhi in 2010. For SME publishers based in the south-east and the London region, a subsidy towards the delegation cost is available. Publishers from other regions may also be eligible for subsidies.

For more details see http://ah.brookes.ac.uk/news/item/publishing_trade_mission_to_delhi_india_2010; to apply to join the trade mission call Mary Malin on 01865 483461 or email her at mmalin@brookes.ac.uk