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Mark Le Fanu, general secretary of the Society of Authors, has supported the revised Google Book Settlement in a submission made last week (22nd January) to the New York court which is to hold a fairness hearing into the settlement in February.
In the submission, Le Fanu said that "at a time when the creative industries are struggling to find 'new models' for the digital age which can satisfy both rights holders and users, the Google Book Settlement offers a reasonable and practical way forward."
Le Fanu said that while concerns have been expressed to the Society of Authors that the Settlement undermines the basics of copyright, "very few" members have raised objections.
"The great majority seem to take the view that overall it contains potentially significant benefits," he wrote.
His submission recommended that there should be no time limit for authors to instruct Google to remove all digital copies of their books and that it should be made clear that a book be regarded as not 'commercially available' only if it is available in neither print or e-book form.
A number of UK authors, including novelists www.thebookseller.com/news/109845-authors-confused-as-google-opt-out-dea... target="_blank">Nick Harkaway and Kamila Shamsie, have raised vocal objections to the Settlement, with some signing US writer Ursula Le Guin's authors' petition against it. Literary agencywww.thebookseller.com/news/110222-agents-offer-authors-mixed-advice-on-g... target="_blank"> William Morris Endeavor Entertainment has advised all its authors to opt out.
The full text of the submission can be found on http://www.societyofauthors.org" target="_blank">www.societyofauthors.org.