IP Alert: Critical May 5 Deadline Under Google Books Settlement

By May 5, 2009, publishers and authors — which includes cultural institutions and not-for-profits — must make a decision with major consequences for their copyright interests: whether to allow their books to be governed by the proposed settlement of the Google Books class action. Unless copyright owners formally opt out by that date, Google will receive the right to make extensive electronic use of their works, including to sell full-text access to out-of-print books.