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The Society of Authors has today sent an email to all members with new guidance on whether or not to opt out of the Revised Google Book Settlement.
The deadline date for an opt-out decision is 28th January. SoA deputy general secretary Kate Pool said "we do not see any compelling evidence to opt out, though there are some who think otherwise."
The new guidance states: "The (few) members who have told us they favour opting out say they are doing so mainly because they fundametally reject the notion that a commercial company should have the right - in the USA - to exploit out-of-print works unless the rights holder specifically says no . . .
"Many (though by no means all) of the members who have spoken to us about this have said that, on balance, they feel that - given where the world is leading digitally - there is potential merit in the Settlement which should establish a new way of identifying and paying rights holders."
The guidance note can be found in full on the Society of Authors website http://www.societyofauthors.org" target="_blank">www.societyofauthors.org