Internet search engine giant Google recently announced that it has reached an agreement with the plaintiffs from a class action lawsuit. The plaintiffs alleged that Google breached copyright by publishing copyright-protected materials via the internet in the United States.+
The settlement is currently pending the court’s final approval. The fairness hearing is scheduled for June, 2009.
Although this class action lawsuit was launched in the United States before a federal court, it may nonetheless have significant a impact on foreigners and non-residents who hold valid copyright in the US.
For example, many Canadian authors have materials published in the U.S. or in the North American market. The copyright of qualified materials published in the U.S. will likely be affected by the settlement. Given the close economic ties between Canada and U.S., many authors’ rights may be affected.
What should you do if you hold the copyright on materials published in the U.S. that are affected by the settlement?
- You can do nothing. You will be bound by the settlement of the result of this class action and receive compensation according to the terms approved by the court.
- You can hire your own lawyer and opt out of the settlement agreement. You won’t be bound by the settlement, and you must resolve your claim with Google individually.
If you are an author who is concerned about the impact of this settlement on your rights, please feel free to contact me at 416 433 5531.
For more information, please visit the website below:
+The Authors Guild, Inc., et al. v. Google Inc., Case No. 05 CV 8136 (S.D.N.Y.)
