Origami Unicorn

Consider the Universal Library

The Atlantic discusses Google's book scanning, copyright, class actions, and the future of books.

Somewhere at Google there is a database containing 25 million books and nobody is allowed to read them.

Advice to the Young Artist

Time For an Independent Copyright Agency?

A congressional committee has recommended that copyright matters, which are currently under the control of the Librarian of Congress, be ceeded to an independent agency. Publishers Weekly reports.

SCOTUS & Apple

Publishers Weekly reports that the Apple ebook case is in the last stage of the last stage. If the Supreme Court won't take that case, or if they uphold the lower court's ruling, that is the end of the road.

If the Supreme Court rejects Apple’s appeal, Apple’s liability finding would be considered final under a 2014 settlement with 33 states and a consumer class, triggering $400 million in consumer rebates.

Google Books & Fair Use

The Atlantic takes a look at what has happened in the ten years Google Books has been in litigation and what it means for the definition of fair use.

“For nearly 300 years, since shortly after the birth of copyright in England in 1710, courts have recognized that, in certain circumstances, giving authors absolute control over all copying from their works would tend in some circumstances to limit, rather than expand, public knowledge,” writes the judge in his decision.

Google's Digital Library Wins Another Case

According to the New York Times, the next, and last, step for the Authors Guild is an appeal to SCOTUS.

“The purpose of the copying is highly transformative, the public display of text is limited, and the revelations do not provide a significant market substitute for the protected aspects of the originals,” Judge Pierre N. Leval of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit wrote, explaining the court’s decision.

The Bones of a Book

Good, bad, or indifferent, Go Set A Watchman offers a chance to see how a book was built, and discuss the unreality of fiction. The New York Times takes a look at the facts and makes some surmises about the fiction. The Guardian considers the story and the roots from which it sprang, ending:

Watchman is nowhere near as good a novel as Mockingbird, but it might prove an equally significant one, if it helps us look to history for our lessons, rather than to our consoling, childish, whitewashed fables.

Author Solutions: No Class Action

Publishers Weekly reports that the plantiffs have been denied class action status in the Author Solutions lawsuit.

The contracts in question granted Author Solutions “the right” to market an author’s work, Cote explained, but “notably absent” was any contractual obligation requiring Author Solutions to actually do so.

Talking About the Hugo Awards

io9 explores the controversy swirling around the Hugo Awards, angry puppies and all, by considering eight books.

Apple Loses Appeal; Must Pay Out

Publishers Weekly reports that Apple has lost its appeal in the long-running battle over whether it, and others, conspried to fix ebook prices. Assuming the decision stands, Apple will have to pay out over 400 million dollars to consumers.