Google settlement round-up

Canadian authors and publishers -- please remember that you now have just over a month to officially opt out of and/or file an objection to the Google Books Settlement, if you so choose.

Those not choosing to opt out have other deadlines to keep in mind (January 5, 2010 for claims to settlement money). You will find a great deal of information (though, please note, no official legal advice) at the Access Copyright page on Google, and at the Google announcement site.

Meanwhile, objections to the settlement are bubbling to the surface, chiefly (it seems) from those with a financial stake in its failure:

A story in Wired on Microsoft's funding for an official legal challenge.

A Wall Street Journal op-ed by a prominent US agent, Lynn Chu, warning against settling with the Goog because such a move "reverses the economics of books."

And then this fuller explanation by Lynn Chu on her agency site, in which she advises that authors sit tight and do nothing.

Like Access Copyright, I advise nothing other than continuing to inform yourself about the settlement, questioning all positions and ultimately making up your own mind.