Word: legalism
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...with so-called orphan books - which refers to out-of-print books whose authors and publishers are unknown - is what's ruffling the most feathers in the literary henhouse. The deal gives Google an exclusive license to publish and profit from these orphans, which means it won't face legal action if an author or owner comes forward later. This, critics contend, gives it a competitive edge over any rival that wants to set up a competing digital library. And without competition, opponents fear Google will start charging exorbitant fees to academic libraries and others who want full access...
Clancy contends that the orphan-licensing agreement wasn't extended beyond Google because it was part of a class action settlement pact, and other companies weren't part of the suit. He supports efforts by Congress to pass an orphan-works bill that would give everyone similar legal protection. (See the top 10 fiction books...
Advocates remain upbeat that the deal will get a green light. "We believe that we're on very solid legal ground to get this settlement approved," says Michael Boni, a partner at Boni & Zack LLC, which represents the Authors Guild. "So we're really not considering any doomsday scenarios at this point...
...Still, the outcome will probably not be decided by legal documents alone. Unlike many disputes between two corporations, a portion of this case will be decided by a jury, which will probably put more weight on whether Greenberg is believable...
...Although the outcome of the case will likely hinge on interpretations of legal agreements signed years ago, Greenberg's credibility was on trial on June 16, when the former AIG chief executive took the stand. AIG's lead attorney, Ted Wells, said that Greenberg and other members of Starr's board of directors had broken an agreement not to sell their AIG shares. (Read "How AIG Became Too Big to Fail...