Book writers defended themselves against Google, but people are unprotected from Google's piracies
- From: gb6726@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: 27 Mar 2007 10:18:57 -0700
The Authors Guild case began when Google copied 15 million books for
profit
without caring about copyright or where those books originated from.
Authors Guild claimed that books cannot be solicited online for profit
without
the consent of the copyright owners. Google continuously profits from
infringed materials that are copyright or personal in content, and as
Hitler's
army looting international art, Google confiscates art from
international
sources for their library. Hitler spent long time sitting and watching
the
model of the new national library sitting on a table just a month
before
his suicide.
$18 Million Settlement to Freelance Writers Filed for Court Approval
Press Release Issued by the Guild, ASJA and NWU
Contact:
Jim Morrison, The American Society of Journalists and Authors, (757)
451-2434 or jimmor@xxxxxxx
Kay Murray, the Authors Guild, (212) 563-5904 or
kmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gerard Colby, National Writers Union, (212) 254-0279 or
GColbyVT@xxxxxxx
New York, March 29 - The American Society of Journalists and Authors,
the Authors Guild, and the National Writers Union today announced the
filing of a motion for court approval of an $18 million settlement in
a class action suit they and 21 freelance writers filed on behalf of
thousands of freelance writers whose stories appeared in online
databases without their consent. They expect preliminary court
approval of the settlement within the next month.
"We are delighted," said Nick Taylor, president of the Authors Guild.
"This is a substantial settlement, and, if approved, it will vindicate
freelance writers who deserve compensation and control for their work
in the electronic marketplace. It proves our contention all along that
access and online advertising revenues shouldn't all go into the
pockets of big media, but should be shared with the creators."
"ASJA has long preached to freelancers that they demand extra pay for
extra uses," said Jim Morrison, ASJA's president from 2001 to 2003 and
the organization's representative in the settlement negotiations.
"Today, we have an $18 million validation of how valuable electronic
rights are to publishers. Freelance writers should remember that when
negotiating their contracts."
Gerard Colby, president of the National Writers Union, noted that in
its historic 2001 ruling in Tasini vs. New York Times, the Supreme
Court ruled that the principles of copyright apply to online
distribution of editorial content, and that articles cannot be
distributed in cyberspace without permission of their creators. The
Tasini litigation was initiated by the NWU and funded in part by its
parent union, the United Auto Workers.
"This settlement will put money in writers' pockets," Colby said.
"Individual awards for individual articles could add up to big money
for writers who had more than one article published electronically
without their consent, and who take action to file proper claims. This
settlement underscores the fundamental importance of the
Constitution's copyright clause and proclaims that the rights of
writers and artists to own their own creations and to earn a living
from them must be respected - even by the nation's most powerful media
corporations."
"This monetary settlement is the final chapter in a 12-year fight to
right a gross injustice," said Jonathan Tasini, president emeritus of
the NWU who served on the settlement negotiating team on behalf of the
union. "But, more important, it shows that writers can stand up, fight
and win."
The filing seeks court approval of a Class Notice, which gives a full
description of the benefits of the settlement, identifies which
articles are included and which are excluded, and explains authors'
rights under the settlement. The settlement is complex, and the three
organizations have set up a joint website (www.freelancerights.com)
dedicated to helping authors understand the terms and make claims.
Under the terms of the settlement, publishers including the New York
Times, Time Inc., and the Wall Street Journal and database companies
including Dow Jones Interactive, Knight-Ridder, Lexis-Nexis, Proquest,
and West Group agreed to pay writers up to $1,500 for stories in which
the writers had registered the copyright in accordance with timetables
established in federal copyright law. Writers who failed to register
their copyrights will receive up to $60 per article; the organizations
believe that many such writers will have valid claims for hundreds of
such articles.
The amount paid will depend on a number of factors, including whether
the writer registered the copyright, the original fee paid for the
article, the year it was published, and whether the writer permits the
future use of the article in the databases. Lisa Collier Cool, current
president of the ASJA, urged freelance writers to go online and make
their claims when the settlement is approved.
Taylor and Morrison noted that fulltime freelancers likely will have
substantial numbers of stories eligible for claims. "I wouldn't be
surprised if there are many writers who did not register their
copyrights who will earn thousands of dollars from the settlement
because they have so many stories eligible for claims," Morrison said.
"That is why we strongly encourage freelancers to make claims."
The settlement is filed under In re Literary Works in Electronic
Databases Copyright Litigation, MDL No. 1379, in federal court in the
Southern District of New York with U.S. District Court Judge George M.
Daniels presiding.
The American Society of Journalists and Authors (www.asja.org) is a
trade association of freelance writers founded in 1948 with more than
1,100 members who have met the ASJA's exacting standards of
professional achievement.
The Authors Guild (www.authorsguild.org) is the nation's oldest and
largest society of published book authors and freelance journalists.
The Guild advocates on behalf of its 8,000 members on copyright,
contract and free speech matters.
The National Writers Union (www.nwu.org), the nation's only labor
union for freelance writers, was founded in 1981. The NWU is Local
1981 of the United Auto Workers. On behalf of its 3,400 members, the
NWU advocates for writers rights and fights to improve the income,
contracts, and working conditions for all freelance writers including
journalists, book authors, business and technical writers, essayists,
poets, playwrights, script writers, writers for the web, and campus
writers, including instructors and professors.
.
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